Issue 27, 2014

Electronic modification of Pt via Ti and Se as tolerant cathodes in air-breathing methanol microfluidic fuel cells

Abstract

We reported herein on the use of tolerant cathode catalysts such as carbon supported PtxTiy and/or PtxSey nanomaterials in an air-breathing methanol microfluidic fuel cell. In order to show the improvement of mixed-reactant fuel cell (MRFC) performances obtained with the developed tolerant catalysts, a classical Pt/C nanomaterial was used for comparison. Using 5 M methanol concentration in a situation where the fuel crossover is 100% (MRFC-mixed reactant fuel cell application), the maximum power density of the fuel cell with a Pt/C cathodic catalyst decreased by 80% in comparison with what is observed in the laminar flow fuel cell (LFFC) configuration. With PtxTiy/C and PtxSey/C cathode nanomaterials, the performance loss was only 55% and 20%, respectively. The evaluation of the tolerant cathode catalysts in an air-breathing microfluidic fuel cell suggests the development of a novel nanometric system that will not be size restricted. These interesting results are the consequence of the high methanol tolerance of these advanced electrocatalysts via surface electronic modification of Pt. Herein we used X-ray photoelectron and in situ FTIR spectroscopies to investigate the origin of the high methanol tolerance on modified Pt catalysts.

Graphical abstract: Electronic modification of Pt via Ti and Se as tolerant cathodes in air-breathing methanol microfluidic fuel cells

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
29 Oct 2013
Accepted
20 Jan 2014
First published
20 Jan 2014

Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2014,16, 13820-13826

Electronic modification of Pt via Ti and Se as tolerant cathodes in air-breathing methanol microfluidic fuel cells

J. Ma, A. Habrioux, C. Morais and N. Alonso-Vante, Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2014, 16, 13820 DOI: 10.1039/C3CP54564D

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