Electrochemistry for Renewable Energy

Electrochemistry provides an important platform to convert (renewable) electricity into valuable products, chemicals, fuels and coatings. This course provides an overview of several electrochemical processes of societal importance, linking fundamental understanding with applied utilization. The scope of the course will cover processes from the nanoscale to the meter-scale, and methods to understand fundamental phenomena in practical systems. Please note that a (mandatory) practicum and an excursion or guest lectures are part of the course.

This course will include:

• Electrochemical potentials and definitions (electromotive force, formal potential, Donnan potential)

• Types of electrochemical reactions (reversibility, multi-step reactions)

• Electrochemistry at liquid-solid, liquid-liquid, solid-solid and gas-solid interfaces

• Electrode reaction kinetics in steady and unsteady state (Cottrell equation)

• Microscopic theories of charge transfer and (Marcus model, energy states, tunneling)

• Ion transport through diffusion and migration

• Electrochemical characterization techniques (cyclic voltammetry, chronopotentiometry, impedance, etc.)

• Electric double layers (Helmholtz model, Gouy-Chapman model)

• Examples of water electrolysis, CO2 reduction

• Industrial electrochemical systems (large scale electrolysers, batteries, etc.)

• Electrochemical equipment (potentiostats, reference electrodes, electrodes, electrolytes, membranes)

• Designing an experimental setup, including practicum