Electrophoretic Deposition of Nanoparticles into Three-Dimensional Felt as an Electrocatalyst for the Solar Sulfur Ammonia Thermochemical Cycle

Abstract

The penetration and coating of nanoparticles by electrophoretic deposition (EPD) into three-dimensional substrates was studied. Specifically, EPD of cobalt ferrite nanoparticles was investigated as a possible electrocatalyst to improve the kinetically slow anodic reaction of the oxidation of ammonium sulfite to ammonium sulfate in the hydrogen production sub-cycle of the proposed solar sulfur-ammonia thermochemical water-splitting process. The primary goals were to uniformly penetrate and coat nanoparticles into 3D substrates by electrophoretic deposition and then to test their electrocatalytic activity by linear sweep voltammetry in 2 M ammonium sulfite.