Wei Tang

Graduate Research Assistant

Education

• PhD candidate in UCSB, Chemistry (2004-present)
  McFarland Group and Stucky Group

Research: Relationships between Composition and Structure and Performance of Nanostructured Metal/metal oxide Catalyst Systems

Since one of the major challenges facing today’s world is the development of a sustainable cost effective source of energy, my research is aimed at the development of an improved understanding of the selection criteria for heterogeneous catalysts associated with energy production and utilization. Specifically, the focus has been on improved electrocatalysts for fuel cells, improved methanol reaction, and desulphurization. With the compositional and structural studies in nanostructured metal/metal oxide, the catalyst system is investigated.

In the fuel cell research, the electrocatalytic reactivity of gold-platinum nanoparticles is investigated, both in acid and basic electrolytes. The nanoclusters are then investigated for reactivity towards the methanol oxidation reaction (on the anodic part of the fuel cell) and oxygen reduction reaction (on the cathodic part of the fuel cell). Also, the size dependence of Au nanoparticles on the kinetics and the activation energy of the electrocatalytic oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in basic electrolyte are determined.

In the next phase, my research would be conducted on doped metal oxide study, regarding their catalytic performance. Doping a metal oxide surface with other metal atoms allows fine tuning of properties of the adsorption of reactants, the reactivity and desorption of products.

Contact

wtang [at] chem.ucsb.edu