High-temperature holder

Research activities

Main directions of the LMET expertise and planned activities during 2013-2015 include:

1. Developments and characterization of novel oxide materials with high ionic, electronic or mixed conductivity, superior electrochemical and catalytic activity, advanced thermomechanical properties, and enhanced stability in a wide range of operation conditions, and, thus, collection and systematization of new fundamental information important for technological applications of the novel materials;


2. Elaboration of technologically and economically viable processing methods for high-performance electrodes, ceramic membranes and a variety of other functional materials, including the fabrication of nano- and submicron-scale structured composite materials, surface-modified ceramics, and porosity- and composition-gradient functional layers;


3. Assessment of microscopic mechanisms responsible for the electrochemical behavior of mixed-conducting electrodes, membranes and multifunctional solid-electrolyte devices, and developments of experimental methods for their surface activation enabling to increase performance and to enlarge lifetime of the electrochemical devices;


4. Development of theoretical and phenomenological models describing micro- and macro-scale behavior of the multilayered electrodes, ceramic membranes and various solid-electrolyte devices, including their defect chemistry relevant for the electrochemical and transport properties, volume variations induced by temperature, chemical potential and/or current variations, and evaluation of the major performance-governing kinetic parameters;


5. Experimental investigations of thermodynamic and kinetic stability of the novel materials, various membrane architectures and porous catalytic layers, including their interaction with other cell components, gaseous species such as carbon dioxide or water vapor, microstructural stability in various operation regimes, and effects of high currents and redox cycling;


6. Demonstration tests and adaptation of the novel materials and processing methods for potential technological partners.


7. Further developments of unique equipment and new experimental facilities available for the scientists and students from ISSP RAS and other scientific centers, which will be widely used for other energy- and environment-related projects;


8. Organization of students training program, seminars, experimental work of young researchers and new graduate- and postgraduate-level courses, aiming to introduce the students in the fields of solid state electrochemistry and alternative energy technologies.