Dr. Maxakato is a Senior Lecturer and Researcher at the University of Johannesburg in the Department of Applied Chemistry. Her research field is Electrochemistry with a special interest in Fuel Cells. Her other fields of expertise are Nanotechnology and Materials Science.
Voltammetry is a very important electrochemical technique that is used to study electrode surface reactions. It helps scientists to understand the behavior of electrochemically active species and the performance of the material being investigated. Voltammetry is commonly used in different fields ranging from energy, sensing, and corrosion applications. It is mainly performed to acquire qualitative information about electrochemical reactions. The interpretation of voltammetric results differs from application to application. In this text, the fundamentals and theories of voltammetry are covered. This book aims at providing interpretations of voltammetric techniques as they are applied in different fields. The various types of voltammetry are covered, and the significance of each type is explained. The topic covered in this book include interpretation of voltammetry in energy, corrosion and sensing applications.
Go to the bookPlatinum and its alloys are regarded as best nanocatalysts for the electro-oxidation of alcohol fuels especially in acidic conditions. The performance of nanocatalysts for alcohol fuel cells depends greatly on the support material. A good support material should have high surface area to obtain high metal dispersion. It should also bond and interact with the nanocatalysts to improve the activity of the overall electrode. Most importantly, the support material should offer great resistance to corrosion under the harsh fuel cell conditions. In this chapter, the use of carbon nanodots as support materials for Pt-Sn and Pt-TiO2 nanoparticles is discussed. The electrochemical activity of Pt/CNDs, Pt-Sn/CNDs and Pt/CNDs-TiO2 nanocatalysts was studied using cyclic voltammetry (CV) in acidic and alkaline conditions. Chronoamperometry (CA) was used to investigate the long-term stability of the nanocatalysts under the fuel cell environment. Electrochemical results demonstrated that binary Pt nanocatalysts are more active compared to monocatalysts. It was also observed that carbon nanodots are better support materials than carbon black. Blending carbon nanodots with titanium dioxide (a ceramic material) improves the corrosion resistance of the nanocatalyst. Cyclic voltammetry results also proved that alcohol electro-oxidation is enhanced in alkaline conditions.
Part of the book: Nanocatalysts