Main trends of this laboratory research activity are devoted to next topics related to renewable energy field:
- Design of new functional materials for Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (SOFC) and oxygen/hydrogen separation membranes. This work includes optimization of compositions and nanostructure of nanocomposite materials for cathodes and anodes of solid oxide fuel cells and functional layers of asymmetric supported membranes (characterized by combination of unique structural and spectroscopic methods, see below) to provide their high mixed ionic- electronic conductivity/oxygen or hydrogen permeability and stability in real operation conditions, to ensure their required nanostructure by using sophisticated preparation methods (sol-gel, mechanochemical activation, synthesis in supercritical fluids, etc).
- Design of structured catalysts for transformation of biofuels into syngas and hydrogen. This work includes design of nanocomposite active components comprised of nanoparticles of Ni alloys with Pt group metals strongly interacting with mixed oxide supports possessing a high oxygen mobility and reactivity required to prevent coking, optimization of their composition and preparation routes, supporting on specially designed and manufactured heat-conducting metal/cermet structured substrates (foams, microchannel plates, foil/gauze honeycombs) by optimized technologies.
- Materials were characterized by unique combinations of methods including XRD on SR, HRTEM with EDX, MAS NMR, UV-Vis, FTIRS of adsorbed CO, TPR, etc.
- Unique isotope methods were applied for characterization of materials transport properties (oxygen/hydrogen self-diffusion coefficients) by oxygen and hydrogen temperature programmed isotope heteroexchange and for elucidation of atomic-scale features of catalytic reactions by SSITKA with O, H, C isotopes.
- Mathematical modeling was used for analysis of performance of SOFC with internal fuels reforming, catalytic reactors with oxygen/hydrogen separation membranes and reactors equipped with structured catalysts for biofuels transformation into syngas and water gas shift reaction
