The Boettcher electrochemistry and materials engineering laboratory studies, designs, synthesizes, fabricates, and models materials and devices for applications in electrochemical energy storage and solar energy conversion. Our work spans use-inspired basic science to applied science and engineering, and technology transfer through industry collaborations and partnerships.
We are particularly focused on uncovering the fundamental insights into how ions and electrons transfer at interfaces and using those insights to design and make materials and devices for efficient energy conversion and storage and manufacturing.
Specific interests include the synthesis and study of heterogeneous electrocatalysts for water oxidation with defined molecular and nanoscale structures, the use of computer simulation and direct electrical measurements to understand semiconductor-electrocatalyst interfaces in photochemistry, the development of alkaline membrane electrolyzers for low-cost scalable hydrogen production, fundamentals and applications of bipolar membranes and electric field driven interfacial ionic reactions like water dissociation and corrosion.
Recent Student PhD Thesis Seminars:
Grace Lindquist – Alkaline Membrane Electrolyzers for Scalable Green Hydrogen
Haokun Chen – Fundamentals of Voltage Driven Water-Dissociation Catalysis in Bipolar Membranes
Video Seminars Delivered by Prof. Boettcher
Water Dissociation Catalysis in Bipolar Membranes and for Electrocatalysis
Towards a Molecular Understanding of Dynamic Fe-based Oxygen Evolution Catalysts
Advanced Bipolar Membranes: Design Principles and Applications in Electrochemical Technology
Towards a Molecular Understanding of Dynamic Fe-based Oxygen Evolution Catalysts
Alkaline Membrane and Bipolar Membrane Electrolyzers for Hydrogen Production
All Publications: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=ctl63ygAAAAJ&hl=en
Recent Publications from Different Areas of Interest:
Ou, Y.; Twight, L. P.; Samanta, B.; Liu, L.; Biswas, S.; Fehrs, J. L.; Sagui, N. A.; Villalobos, J.; Morales-Santelices, J.; Antipin, D.; Risch, M.; Toroker, M. C.; Boettcher, S. W., Cooperative Fe sites on transition metal (oxy)hydroxides drive high oxygen evolution activity in base. Nat. Commun. 2023, 14 (1), 7688.
Chen, L.; Xu, Q.; Boettcher, S. W., Kinetics and mechanism of heterogeneous voltage-driven water-dissociation catalysis. Joule 2023, 7 (8), 1867-1886.
Lindquist, G. A.; Gaitor, J. C.; Thompson, W. L.; Brogden, V.; Noonan, K. J. T.; Boettcher, S. W., Oxidative instability of ionomers in hydroxide-exchange-membrane water electrolyzers. Energy & Environmental Science 2023, 16 (10), 4373-4387.
Zhao, Y.; Hu, X.; Stucky, G. D.; Boettcher, S. W., Thermodynamic, Kinetic, and Transport Contributions to Hydrogen Evolution Activity and Electrolyte-Stability Windows for Water-in-Salt Electrolytes. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2024, 146 (5), 3438-3448.
Oener, S. Z.; Foster, M. J.; Boettcher, S. W., Accelerating water dissociation in bipolar membranes and for electrocatalysis. Science 2020, 369 (6507), 1099-1103.
Laskowski, F. A. L.; Oener, S. Z.; Nellist, M. R.; Gordon, A. M.; Bain, D. C.; Fehrs, J. L.; Boettcher, S. W., Nanoscale semiconductor/catalyst interfaces in photoelectrochemistry. Nat. Mater. 2020, 19 (1), 69-76.
