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Advanced Oxygen Evolution Catalyst for Electrolyzer Energy Storage for Lunar Surface Systems

Award Information
Agency: National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Branch: N/A
Contract: NNX10CD39P
Agency Tracking Number: 094402
Amount: $100,000.00
Phase: Phase I
Program: SBIR
Solicitation Topic Code: X7.03
Solicitation Number: N/A
Timeline
Solicitation Year: 2009
Award Year: 2010
Award Start Date (Proposal Award Date): 2010-01-29
Award End Date (Contract End Date): 2010-07-29
Small Business Information
7610 Eastmark Drive
College Station, TX 77840-4023
United States
DUNS: 184758308
HUBZone Owned: No
Woman Owned: No
Socially and Economically Disadvantaged: No
Principal Investigator
 Alan Cisar
 Principal Investigator
 (979) 693-0017
 alan.cisar@lynntech.com
Business Contact
 G. Hisaw
Title: Sr. Contracts Administrator
Phone: (979) 693-0017
Email: renee.hisaw@lynntech.com
Research Institution
N/A
Abstract

Future NASA lunar missions will require a high efficiency, lightweight, long life, maintenance-free water electrolyzer for energy storage. Anodic oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is the limiting step in water electrolysis to achieve high efficiency and durability for current electrolyzer technology. Current best candidates for OER catalysts comprising of iridium and ruthenium oxides still suffer from high activation overpotential and incur performance losses in the electrolyzer due to non-optimized microstructural properties. In the present proposal, Lynntech proposes an advancement of its proprietary OER catalyst technology through optimization in microstructure and composition of mixed oxides of iridium and ruthenium. Lynntech's optimized catalyst will exhibit lesser overpotentials due to enhanced uniform nanophase properties of electrical conductivity, hydrophilicity and high surface area. In addition, surface modification of the catalyst is proposed to improve the kinetics of the OER reaction at lower current densities and also to improve the stability of the catalyst towards high potential operation during anodic OER. With its present OER catalyst already achieving less than 1.44 V at 200 mA/cm2 at 90 ºC and stable operation even at 2.05 V electrolyzer potentials, Lynntech plans to achieve even lower potentials at 200 mA/cm2 with the proposed advancement of technology.

* Information listed above is at the time of submission. *

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