COURSE TITLE: Fundamentals Electrochemistry and Hydrogen

Introduction to the Course/课程介绍:

The course will prepare students to the advanced courses on Batteries and Fuel Cells in twofold, namely Electrochemistry and Hydrogen. Electrochemistry is the branch of physical chemistry concerned with the relationship between electrical potential, as a measurable and quantitative phenomenon, and identifiable chemical change, with either electrical potential as an outcome of a particular chemical change, or vice versa. Hydrogen is an energy vector that will play a major role in the energy transition, and especially in the development of electrochemical devices such as Fuel Cells and Electrolyzers. Hydrogen is by far the most abundant element in the universe; nevertheless, for thermokinetic reasons fossil H2 does not exist anymore on Earth, and in the quasi totality of the cases it is associated to other atoms in more or less complex molecules. Nevertheless, recent discoveries of native Hydrogen H2, coming from chemical reaction between underground water and mineral such as iron carbonates raise lots of interest. But prior to the confirmation of this resource and the setting up of appropriate technologies to extract and purify this native Hydrogen, the use of Hydrogen will require that we draw it from the complex molecules it is associated with, make it interact with matter in electrochemical devices, store and transport it. Interaction with matter will also require a certain level of knowledge about Materials Science, which will be given in the course.

Course Aims课程目标: The aims of this Course are to:

·         Refine the knowledge on basic chemistry and electrochemistry, and give the tools and equations that will be used to understand the functioning and behavior of electrochemical devices such as Batteries and Fuel Cells

·         Refine the knowledge on Hydrogen and on the Hydrogen economy, and give some of its characteristics which will be used in the advanced courses,

·         Refine the knowledge on basic materials science, introduce thermodynamic of ceramics sintering, microstructure, grain boundaries and their effects on properties,

·         Gain ideas on scales, sizes, dimensions that are encountered in materials science, and how to

play with them.

Learning Outcomes/学习结果：

By the end of this Course students should have gained:

·         Knowledge and Understanding/ 知 识 理 解 : chemistry and electrochemistry, Hydrogen, Hydrogen economy, materials science

·         Intellectual Skills/智力技能:

·         Professional Practice Skills/专业技能: functioning and behavior of electrochemical devices, thermodynamic of ceramics sintering, microstructure, grain boundaries and their effects on properties