Title: Engineering Porous Materials for Electrochemical Energy Conversion and Storage.
Speaker: Antoni Forner-Cuenca (TU/e, Dept. of Chemical Engineering and Chemistry, group Electrochemical Porous Materials & Interfaces, group Membrane Materials & Processes)
Time: Jan.23, 2020, 10:00–11:00
Location: Differ, Alexander-zaal
Abstract | Electrochemical processes are poised to play a pivotal role in the evolving global power system because the efficient interconversion of electrical and chemical energy can enable the development of green technologies that support the decarbonization of the electric grid, power the automotive fleet, and offer new opportunities for chemical manufacturing. Porous materials (e.g. electrodes) are central to advanced electrochemical systems as they are responsible for multiple critical functions in the cell related to thermodynamics, kinetics, and transport. They provide surfaces for electrochemical reactions, conduct electrons and heat, and distribute fluids. Thus, their design governs the performance, durability, and consequently, the cost of these systems. In this seminar, I will present my recent research efforts to develop advanced porous materials for polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEFCs) and redox flow batteries (RFBs). First, I will discuss the fabrication, characterization, and performance of novel gas diffusion layer materials with patterned wettability to optimize the water and gas transport in PEFCs. Then, I will discuss my current efforts to develop advanced electrodes for nonaqueous RFB through understanding the role of electrode microstructure and surface chemistry.
Bio | Dr. Antoni (Toni) Forner-Cuenca recently started his appointment as Assistant Professor at Eindhoven University of Technology. Prior to that, Toni was a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Chemical Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology under Prof. Fikile R. Brushett, where he focused on developing advanced porous electrodes for redox flow batteries. Toni received his Ph.D. from ETH Zürich (Switzerland) in 2016 where he worked with Dr. Pierre Boillat and Prof. Thomas J. Schmidt on developing novel gas diffusion layers with patterned wettability for advanced water management strategies in polymer electrolyte fuel cells. Toni has been the recipient of the ETH Zurich Medal 2017, the Electrochemical Society Energy Technology Graduate Student Award 2017, and the Swiss National Science Foundational Postdoctoral Mobility Fellowship.
The CCER seminars are aimed at researchers interested in computational approaches to (energy) research. The seminar is small-scale, typically 15 participants, and interactive, offering lots of room for discussion. If you don't have access to the DIFFER building but would like to attend, just This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..