首尔国立大学的研究团队发现了银纳米催化剂的一个关键特性：该催化剂能够根据固体氧化物电池的工作模式在不同位置切换反应位置 [1]。在发电模式下，氧还原反应主要发生在银纳米粒子与电极的界面处，反应速率随着界面长度的增加而上升 [1]；而在制氢模式下，反应则转移到银纳米粒子的表面，反应速率随表面积的增加而增加 [1]。这一发现为设计更高效的清洁能源设备开辟了新的思路 [1]。
该研究由首尔国立大学材料科学与工程系教授WooChul Jung和Jeong Woo Han领导 [1]，研究团队利用同步辐射分析和原子级理论计算来观察电极表面的动态变化 [1]。相关成果已发表于《能源与环保科学》期刊，并被选为封面文章 [1]。研究获得了韩国科学与信息通信技术部和国家研究基金会的资助 [1]。
A research team from Seoul National University has uncovered a dynamic mechanism in silver nanocatalysts that allows them to shift their reaction sites depending on the operational mode of solid oxide fuel cells.[1] In power generation mode, the primary reactions occur at the interface between the silver nanoparticles and the electrode, while in hydrogen production mode, the reactions relocate to the surface of the silver nanoparticles themselves.[1] This discovery opens new pathways for designing more efficient clean energy devices by revealing how catalyst activity can be strategically modulated based on operational requirements.[1]
The research, led by Professor WooChul Jung and Jeong Woo Han from the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at Seoul National University, employed advanced synchrotron radiation analysis combined with atomic-level theoretical calculations to observe these surface transformations.[1] During oxygen reduction reactions for power generation, reaction rates increased with greater interface length between the silver nanoparticles and electrode, whereas during oxygen evolution reactions for hydrogen production, reaction rates improved with increased silver nanoparticle surface area.[1] The findings have been published in the journal Energy & Environmental Science as a cover article and received funding support from South Korea's Ministry of Science and Information and Communications Technology and the National Research Foundation.[1]