Microwave-Induced Nanoscale Convection, Polarisation, and Thermal Effects Leading to Innovative Analytical Technology

Completed

Not Energy Related
Hydrogen and Fuel Cells(Fuel Cells)

Basic and strategic applied research

PHYSICAL SCIENCES AND MATHEMATICS (Chemistry)

Not Cross-cutting

Dr F Marken
Electronic and Electrical Engineering
University of Bath

Standard

EPSRC

01 September 2008

29 February 2012

42 months

£263,901

Catalysis & surfaces

South West

NC : Physical Sciences

Dr F Marken, Electronic and Electrical Engineering, University of Bath

Our project hypothesis is that extremely energetic microwave-driven convection and heating are possible for both inlaid-disk nanoelectrodes and nanoparticles immersed in solution and that massive improvements in electroanalytical processes can be achieved with these microwave effects. These phenomena (temperature, mass transport) can be directly measured and quantified in electrochemical experiments employing nanoelectrodes. At very small electrodes turbulence can be suppressed and unusually fast convective flow can be achieved (driven by microwave induced thermal gradients) giving high currents and beneficial effects e.g. "kinetic resolution" in analytical applications (sulphide, thiol, arsenite, oxygen, carbon dioxide, etc.). More importantly, the adsorption of microwaves into the double layer of interfaces with sufficiently fast RC time constant (e.g. at nanoelectrodes) has never been reported and may again lead to novel chemical phenomena (e.g. for processes involving H2, CO2, or CO adsorbates on Pt, Pd, or Au). These kinds of processes (which occur only at nanoelectrodes or nanoparticles) could be important for sensor and fuel cell processes

05/09/07