Introduction

Hydrogen fuel cell technology has come a long way in the one hundred and seventy years
since its inception. However, the future success of hydrogen fuel cells in the energy marketplace
hinges upon the development of low cost, highly active, and durable electrocatalysts to drive the
sluggish electrochemical reactions occurring on both the anode and cathode of the fuel cell. Our
current reliance on platinum (Pt), and alloys of platinum-group metals (PGM) hinder the
economically viable commercialization of this incredibly powerful technology, due to their high
cost and rarity. We here at the Center for Micro-Engineered Materials (CMEM) have been key
players in the design, synthesis, characterization, and implementation of a novel class of
electrocatalysts based on abundant and inexpensive chemical precursors known in the fuel cell
community as PGM-free electrocatalysts, which are composed primarily of nitrogen-doped
graphene-like structures and iron (Fe).

Just as the development of low cost electrocatalysts is the current bottleneck in hydrogen
fuel cell commercialization, so to is our ability to design and study our proposed, and generally
accepted, solution to the problem. In order to optimize and streamline our catalyst production
capabilities we here at CMEM are proposing the development of a synthesis robot to
complement our skilled workforce.

This proposal details the current situation surrounding PGM-free electrocatalyst
development and highlights the serious lack of volume and diversity of catalyst production, offers
a highly organized and scrupulous project plan as well as several contingency plans should some
aspect of the plan require improvement, addresses CMEMs unique qualifications for executing
the project, and quantifies the costs and benefits associated with the success of the project.

Should the Department of Energy (DOE), Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable
Energys (EERE), Innovative Development in Energy-Related Applied Sciences (IDEAS) grant
program concur with CMEM as to the importance of this project and resolve to move forward
with its implementation, we are confident that the construction and utilization of our proposed
synthesis robot will benefit not only ourselves, but also the fuel cell community as a whole as we
work together toward creating a cleaner energy future for all life on the planet.

Current Situation

The current lack of diversity and volume of PGM-free catalyst production is the main
problem facing a detailed understanding of the mechanism by which these powerful materials
perform their impressive task. As a result, we are limited in our ability to move forward in the
development of optimal electrocatalysts for commercial production.

This lack of volume and diversity is a consequence of several disadvantages which, until
recently, CMEM has managed to operate in spite of. The most significant of these disadvantages,
and the one that contributes to all others, is the time consuming synthesis process by which PGMfree electrocatalyst are produced. Currently CMEM utilizes the sacrificial surface support method
(SSM) to create open framed, self supported carbonaceous frameworks, wherein a selected
organic precursor containing sufficient amounts of carbon and nitrogen bonded together in a
manner, which we have previously shown through empirical studies are advantageous to the
formation of electrochemically active sites, is combined with a mixture of amorphous and
polycrystalline silica and an Fe salt in an aqueous environment. The resulting slurry is then dried
at 85C prior to thorough pulverization of the resulting solid. The pulverized powder is then
subjected to a series of high temperature pyrolysis procedures at nearly 1000C and acidic
leaching to remove of the silica support. In all, the successful execution of these multiple steps,
within which, multiple parameters must be managed, requires over eighteen man hours to
complete.

Additional difficulties arise due to the lack of equipment available to the ten graduate
students and research faculty currently working on projects involving the production of catalyst
material via the SSM. Our current supply of equipment numbers:

2 working high temperature furnaces for pyrolysis

2 working low temperature furnaces for drying
4 stir plates
1 of each specialty gas cylinder needed for pyrolysis
2 fume hoods needed for handling concentrated acids
2 potentiostats for electrochemical testing of resulting materials
1 fuel cell test station for final electrochemical analysis

Although, students and faculty at CMEM have produced many breakthrough materials
utilizing this equipment, sharing said equipment over multiple projects increases the amount of
time it takes to produce a sufficient amount of catalytic material to over forty-eight man hours.

Finally, the simplest solution to the equipment problem would be to purchase additional
equipment. However, CMEM has just over 1500 sq. ft. of space available for all projects involving
PGM-free catalysts production which must accommodate:

5 computer monitors and hard drives

storage for a large library of chemicals

desk space for students
working bench space

In all, there is not enough space for the amount of equipment necessary to increase the
catalyst production rate to even half that of a lab with just one synthesis robot. According to our
calculations one fully functional synthesis robot capable of working around the clock on multiple
projects, in an automated fashion, would have the ability to increase our catalyst production rate
nearly three hundred fold. It is for this reason that our goal at CMEM is not to invest in additional
space to house additional equipment but instead to invest our time and effort in the design,
construction, and implementation of just one synthesis robot.

Were CMEM to continue catalyst production, analysis, and full scale testing at its current rate,
the ever increasing need for high tech solutions to the worlds energy crisis would surely hamper
any advances which we are currently able to realize. This rate of advancement would in turn shift
attention and funding away from this promising green energy technology in exchange for more
efficient, yet completely unsustainable oil based energy solutions. It is for this reason that CMEM
is dedicated to increasing catalyst production efficiency through the use of an automated
synthesis robot.

Project Plan

With the ultimate goal of designing and implementing a

synthesis robot to the aforementioned synthetic procedure, which
has more than proven its worth to date1, we here at CMEM have
identified and mapped out a series of objectives to reach this goal.
Each objective is followed by a rigorous analysis of the steps needed
to realize each objective as well as contingency plans, where
necessary, should the steps in each objective require improvement.
Each objective as well as the respective steps needed to achieve them
are explained in detail in the following section.

Objective 1). Recruit the build team.
6

Figure 1: visual of potential final product
- Designing and building the robot will require the
collaboration of skilled individuals and teams from diverse scientific, and
engineering backgrounds. Principally, mechanical engineers and computer scientist
operating in the field of robotics.

Step 1). Committee formation

- A committee for analyzing potential collaborators and their respective
contributions will be assembled and composed of faculty from CMEM. Namely,

Plamen Atanassov, Distinguished Professor of Chemical and Biological

engineering and Director of CMEM , Alexey Serov, Associate Research Professor,
Deparment of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Kateryna Artyushkova,
Associate Research Professor, Department of Chemical and Biological
Engineering, and myself Jonathan Gordon, Associate Professor, Department of
Chemical and Biological Engineering, and Chemistry and Chemical Biology,
Assistant director of CMEM.

- The committee will meet bi-weekly for two hours during the course of the
selection process to discuss pertinent information, field concerns, and offer
suggestions.

-The committee will ultimately be responsible for voting on all final decisions as
to the identity and responsibilities of all collaborators.

Step 2). Design criteria for collaborator selection


-Committee members will compose a comprehensive set of criteria upon which

potential collaborators will be selected.

Step 3). Initiate and field bids from each of the major collaborators of the build i.e.,
mechanical engineering and computer programing.

- A comprehensive document detailing the specific needs from each sector will

be composed by the review committee.

- A list of potential collaborators agreed upon by all members of the committee

will be created.

-Potential collaborators will be formally contacted and asked to participate in the

bidding process.

-Only after the deadline for submission of bids has passed will the review

committee meet to analyze and discuss the qualifications and capabilities of

potential collaborators based on their respective proposals.

-Final decisions will be made two weeks after all bids have been thoroughly

analyzed by the committee in order to give the committee members time to

explore any concerns they may have about potential collaborators.

-Contingency: should the situation arise wherein a consensus cannot be reached

as to the final selection of collaborators, an additional two weeks and a

minimum of 2 additional review committee meetings will be held and final

decisions will be given to the majority vote of the committee.


Objective 2). Purchase materials and invest in computer program development


Step 1). Material requisition managers will be appointed from each of the three teams,


i.e., CMEM, Mechanical Engineering, Computer Science.



- Material requisition managers will be appointed by their respective teams and


will be responsible for overseeing any and all expenditures as they pertain to
the project.



-Managers will also be responsible for providing detailed accounting of all


purchases to both the head project manager (myself), as well as the DOE grant


oversight committee.



-Managers will need to ensure that continued manufacture/supply of material


can be guaranteed for the foreseeable future to avoid costly delays in material


requisition.



-Safeguard to ensure that the project does not hinge upon the delivery of


material from a particular supplier a minimum of three alternative suppliers will


be secured by the material requisition manager.



Step 2). A comprehensive list of materials will be composed.



- Material requisition managers will be responsible for composing and updating a


comprehensive list of materials.



-List of materials together with expenditures will be provided to the review


committee and the DOE.



-Updates to these lists and any adjustments to the budget as a result will need to


be approved by the review committee.

Objective 3). Build and test the robot.


Step 1). Assemble primary components:

High temperature furnace controls

Mass flow controllers
Auto sampler
Reaction apparatus
Control arms
Operator interface


Step 2). Integrate and test primary component functionality and communication



-Each of the 6 main components will need to communicate with one another


without glitches or bugs to ensure reproducibility of the resulting catalytic


materials.



-At this stage, representatives from each team will need to be physically present.


Travel expenses have been assessed and appear in the budget.



Step 3). Final assembly



-Final assembly is projected to take place one year following the recruitment of


the build team.



-All respective components will need to be gathered in a central location.



-Work space will be provided by the UNM department of Manufacturing


Engineering.


Step 4). Diagnostic testing



-CMEM students and faculty will run a series of reproducibility and efficiency


tests to compare the products of the robotic synthesis to previously obtained


data for a model catalyst system.



-Contingency: should the robot fail to execute synthetic procedures at or near


the desired rate, all members of the build team will meet to identify, discuss,
and plan solutions.

Qualifications

CMEM, as part of the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, at the

University of New Mexico, has remained a key player in the growing field of hydrogen fuel cell
technology, both in terms of the design, synthesis, and implementation of electrocatalytic
materials into working fuel cell systems, as well as the design and optimization of said systems,
for over a decade. During this time CMEM has trained over two hundred graduate and
postdoctoral students, published over two thousand academic papers, patented nearly eighty
novel materials and scientific processes, and collaborated with some of the worlds leading
scientists and engineers on breakthrough scientific research and development projects. The
prolific nature of our accomplishments coupled with our ability and desire to collaborate, places
CMEM in the strategic position for growth, which we feel confident has the potential to arise
through investment in our proposed synthesis robot following financial investment by the DOEs
EERE IDEAS grant program.

Collaboration has been a hallmark of CMEMs dedication to furthering the scientific

enterprise, that is the fuel cell research community, since its inception. Additionally, the list of
successful collaborations which CMEM has participated, and in many cases initiated and lead,
extend beyond the academic environment to include powerful industry partners such as Daihatsu
Motor Co., Ltd-the oldest car manufacturer in Japan and a subsidiary of Toyota Motor Co., and
Pajarito Powder-a startup company responsible for the commercialization of fuel cell catalyst
technology developed at CMEM, as well as significant collaborations with US government
national labs such as Los Alamos, Argonne, and Sandia National labs. We at CMEM are confident
that our prior experience and leadership capabilities as they pertain to academic and industrial
collaborations more than qualify us to initiate the highly collaborative project that is the topic of
this proposal.

Costs

The total cost of construction of the proposed synthesis robot is estimated at $500,000.
Each of the individual costs was calculated so as to align with the funds being requested from the
DOE, EERE IDEAS grant program. Any additional expenses related to the proposed project will be
charged to existing funding from the DOE, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and Daihatsu
Motor Co., Ltd. repositories. See budget for details.
Budget

Title

Description

In Kind

Total Cost

Jonathan Gordon

Pay for services

rendered as project
coordinator.
Pay for services
rendered as review
committee member and
technical consultant.
Pay for services
rendered as review
committee member and
technical consultant.
Pay for services
rendered as review
committee member and
technical consultant.
Pay for services
rendered in terms of
robot hardware
construction and
integration.
Pay for services
rendered in terms of

$100,000 salary

$2,000

$150,000 salary

$20,000

$125,000 salary

$20,000

$125,000

$20,000

Estimated value of
equipment and work
space: $1.5 million

$75,000

Estimated value of
equipment and work
space: $750,000

$75,000

Plamen Atanassov

Alexey Serov

Kateryna Atryushkova

Mechanical Engineering
Team (MET)

Computer Science Team

(CST)

Travel and material

transport

Materials
Material requisition
manager (MET)

Material requisition
manager (CST)

Material requisition
manager (CMEM)

DOE2

Bill and Melinda Gates

Foundation3

Daihatsu Motor Co.,

Ltd.4,5

robot operating system

design and integration.
Construction of the
robot will require a
physical presence from
an unknown number of
MET and CST team
members and their
respective components
for the build.
See Objective 3), Step 1)
of the project plan.
Pay for services
rendered in terms of
securing, purchasing,
and cataloging required
materials associated
with the MET build
responsibilities.
Pay for services
rendered in terms of
securing, purchasing,
and cataloging required
materials associated
with the CST programing
responsibilities.
Pay for services
rendered in terms of
securing, purchasing,
and cataloging required
materials associated
with the CMEM build
responsibilities.
Fuel Cell Technologies
Incubator: Innovations
in Fuel Cell and
Hydrogen Fuel
Technologies
To investigate the
capabilities of microbial
bio-electrochemical
systems which can play
a central role in water
quality and sanitation
managment
Joint UNM Daihatsu fuel
cell development

NA

Estimated $5,000

NA

Estimated $250,000

NA

$5,000

NA

$5,000

NA

$5,000

$1 million per year for

four years

None

$450,000

None

$1 million

None

Benefits
CMEM has calculated the added benefit of adding just one synthesis robot to our team of
skilled scientists and engineers working in the field of hydrogen fuel cell development to be equal
to that of hiring an additional fifty graduate students working around the clock with constant
access to equipment and materials. In doing so the forecasted increase in productivity is over
three hundred fold. The additional capabilities made possible by the successful completion of the
proposed project will afford more time for students and faculty to
analyze and improve existing experimental techniques and evaluation
of catalytic materials. Additionally, this increased productivity will
supply an unprecedented amount of scientific data, which will be used
to further elucidate the complex mechanisms which govern the mode
of action of these incredible catalytic materials. Finally, it is highly likely
that others in the field of fuel cell development and catalytic research
will find the capabilities made possible by our robot valuable for their
own research efforts, opening the door for commercialization of our
robot design.
7

Figure 2. Hydrogen Energy
On a global scale, the exponential growth of knowledge which
will be realized through the use of the proposed synthesis robot will undoubtedly encourage
investors from the energy market to look more closely at the capabilities of hydrogen fuel cells
to provide power for various energy demanding tasks and as such a shift in the current energy
consumption paradigm is likely to occur. In this respect, just one robot is capable of turning the
tide of the energy marketplace, reduce our reliance on fossil fuels and in turn lead the way toward
a cleaner energy future.

Conclusion
Throughout the course of this proposal, the necessity for the development of inexpensive,
highly active, and durable electrocatalytic materials has been illustrated, the benefits of
introducing an automated robotic system into the catalytic materials research arena explained
and quantified, and the qualifications possessed by CMEM to realize the goals of the project put
forth. In order to realize the tremendous benefits of this project to both the fuel cell community
and the planet as a whole, it is essential that CMEM collaborate with qualified investors such as
the DOE, EERE IDEAS grant program. It is with great honor that we at CMEM submit to you this
formal proposal, and with an optimistic vision for the future that we look forward to your
thoughtful response.
Best Regards,
Dr. Jonathan P. Gordon

Works Cited
1. Shao, Minhua et al. Recent Advances in Electrocatalysts for Oxygen Reduction
Reaction. Chemical Reviews 116.6 (2016): 35943657. CrossRef. Web.

2. Energy Department Invests $10M Through the Fuel Cell Technologies Incubator
Funding Opportunity to Support Innovations in Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Fuel
Technologies. Energy.gov. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Apr. 2016.

3. OPP1139954. Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Apr. 2016.

4. University of New Mexicos Jointly Developed Fuel Cell Technology with Daihatsu
Motors Wins Top 10 Innovation Award at ICEF Conference in Japan | Welcome
to STC.UNM. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Apr. 2016.

5. Writer, Kevin Robinson-Avila | Journal Staff. UNM Fuel-Cell Technology
Honored in Japan. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Apr. 2016.
6. Styrene and Ethyl Benzene Devolatizer in Styrene Pilot Unit.
http://www.integratedlabsolutions.com/industries
served/polymers/systems/monomer-and-solvent-devolatizers/. Web. 13 April,
2016
7. HydrogenFuelEnergyPowerSymbolIco-1.jpg~c200.jpeg,
http://i561.photobucket.com/albums/ss51/EnvironmentalMediaNorthwest/Hydrog
enFuelEnergyPowerSymbolIco-1.jpg. Web. 13 April, 2016