Electrochemistry, electrolysis, electrocatalyst development

Explain the principle of EIS and how small AC perturbations probe electrode processes.

Interpret Nyquist and Bode plots to identify features such as solution resistance, charge transfer resistance, and capacitance.

Model EIS data with a Randles equivalent circuit and extract key parameters (Rs, Rct, Cdl).

Relate charge transfer resistance (Rct) to electrocatalytic activity and compare catalysts using EIS.

Describe the overall and half-cell reactions for water electrolysis in acidic and alkaline media.

Explain the voltage breakdown in an electrolysis cell, detailing thermodynamic, kinetic, and ohmic contributions.

Compare the operating principles of alkaline (AWE), proton-exchange membrane (PEM), and anion-exchange membrane (AEM) electrolysers.

Identify the key components of an electrolysis cell and their functions (electrodes, membrane/diaphragm, current collectors).

Explain the role of electrolyte concentration and temperature on electrolysis efficiency.

Define and calculate Faradaic efficiency for hydrogen and oxygen evolution.

Describe the Volmer, Heyrovsky, and Tafel elementary steps of the HER.

Identify the rate-determining step of HER from experimental Tafel slope values.

Interpret volcano plots relating HER activity to hydrogen binding energy (HBE).

Explain why platinum-group metals sit at the peak of the HER volcano plot.

Discuss strategies for designing non-noble metal HER electrocatalysts based on descriptor-activity relationships.

Describe the four-electron adsorbate evolution mechanism of OER in alkaline media.

Explain the concept of scaling relations between adsorption energies of OER intermediates (OH*, O*, OOH*).

Interpret OER volcano plots and identify the theoretical overpotential limitation imposed by scaling relations.

Explain why transition metal oxides and hydroxides are effective OER catalysts.

Discuss the role of bifunctional catalysts in overall water splitting, relating this to Ni-Fe based systems.

Explain how nanostructuring increases electrochemically active surface area (ECSA).

Describe the role of support materials (e.g., MXenes, carbon substrates) in enhancing catalytic performance.

Explain synergistic effects in bimetallic and hybrid electrocatalysts like Ni-Fe/MXene systems.

Describe common catalyst degradation mechanisms during electrolysis (e.g., dissolution, agglomeration, passivation).

Explain how compositional tuning (e.g., alloying, doping) can enhance intrinsic catalyst stability.

Discuss challenges specific to seawater electrolysis (chlorine evolution, corrosion) and mitigation approaches.

Design a chronoamperometry experiment (constant potential) to evaluate long-term catalyst stability.

Design a chronopotentiometry experiment (constant current) to evaluate operational voltage stability.

Interpret current-time and potential-time profiles to quantify catalyst degradation.

Apply accelerated degradation testing (potential cycling) to predict catalyst lifetime.

Define turnover frequency (TOF) and explain its significance for comparing intrinsic catalyst activity.

Outline electrochemical methods for estimating the number of active sites, linking to ECSA.

Calculate TOF for a given reaction using experimentally-derived current and an estimated number of active sites.

Correlate changes observed in post-electrolysis material characterization (e.g., XRD, XPS, SEM) with electrochemical degradation signatures.

Identify common pitfalls and best practices in reporting electrocatalytic performance data.

Critically evaluate literature benchmarking data for HER and OER electrocatalysts.

Design a protocol segment to evaluate HER/OER activity using LSV and CV-based ECSA measurements.

Design a protocol segment to investigate reaction kinetics and charge transfer properties using Tafel analysis and EIS.

Design a protocol segment to assess long-term operational stability using chronopotentiometry and accelerated degradation testing.

Synthesize activity, kinetic, and stability data to build a comprehensive picture of catalyst performance.

Formulate a conclusive judgment on a catalyst's suitability for alkaline water electrolysis, justifying with evidence from a complete dataset.