Grant: Research Tools and Instruments - Category 1 (<$150,000)

Electrochemical energy conversion provides a feasible path toward clean energy systems that do not rely on fossil fuels. Independently of the materials, topologies, and configurations, the performance of the enabling technologies is characterized by interfacial phenomena. Out of many electrochemical characterization techniques, the electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) is especially well-suited to characterize layers and interfaces. It involves the application of a periodic stimulus (e.g., a current or potential) and the measurement of the associated response from an electrochemical system (i.e., the resulting voltage or current.) EIS is applicable to a wide variety of technologies including batteries, fuel cells, electrolyzers, and supercapacitors. The present proposal requests funds to purchase a multi-channel instrument incorporating a potentiostat/galvanostat and a frequency response analyser (FRA) at each channel. The new instrument will be combined with specialized experimental hardware and techniques developed at two universities (Victoria and British Columbia) in the last three years. The resulting multichannel electrochemical characterization system will address the limitations of the existing state-of-the-art, and it will enable a research platform that is unique in the world.