Novel Hybrid Electrocatalyst with Enhanced Performance in Alkaline Media: Hollow Au/Pd Core/Shell Nanostructures with a Raspberry Surface

In this paper, a hollow Au/Pd core/shell nanostructure with a raspberry surface was developed for methanol, ethanol, and formic acid oxidation in alkaline media. The results showed that it possessed better electrocatalyst performance than hollow Au nanospheres or Pd nanoparticles. The nanostructure was fabricated via a two-step method. Hollow Au nanospheres were first synthesized by a galvanic replacement reaction, and then they were coated with a layer of Pd grains. Several characterizations such as transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) were used to investigate the prepared nanostructures.

A novel urchinlike gold/platinum hybrid nanocatalyst with controlled size

In this paper, we have explored a simple and new strategy to obtain quasimonodisperse Au/Pt hybrid nanoparticles (NPS) with urchinlike morphology and controlled size and Pt shell thickness. Through changing the molar ratios of Au to Pt, the Pt shell thickness of urchinlike Au/Pt hybrid NPs could be easily controlled; through changing the size of Au NPs (the size was easily controlled from similar to 3 to similar to 70 nm via simple heating of HAuCl4-citrate aqueous solution), the size of urchinlike Au/Pt hybrid NPs could be facilely dominated. It should be noted that heating the solution (100 degrees C) was very necessary for obtaining three-dimensional (3D) urchinlike nanostructures while H2PtCl6 was added to gold NPs aqueous solution in the presence of reductant (ascorbic acid). The electrocatalytic oxygen reduction reaction (ORR, a reaction greatly pursued by scientists in view of its important application in fuel cells) and the electron-transfer reaction between hexacyanoferrate(III) ions and thiosulfate ions of urchinlike Au/Pt hybrid NPs were investigated. It is found that the as-prepared urchinlike Au/Pt hybrid NPs exhibited higher catalytic activities than that of similar to Pt NPs with similar size.

Monodisperse, submicrometer-scale platinum colloidal spheres with high electrocatalytic activity

Monodisperse, submicrometer-scale platinum (Pt) colloidal spheres were prepared through a simple direct chemical reduction of p-phenylenediamine (PPD)-chloroplatinic acid (H2PtCl6) coordination polymer colloids. It was found that the prepared Pt colloids had the similar size and morphology with their coordination polymer precursors, and the prepared Pt colloids with rough surfaces were three-dimensional (3D) structured assemblies of high-density small Pt nanoparticles. The electrochemical experiments confirmed that the prepared Pt colloids possessed a high electrocatalytic activity towards mainly four-electron reduction of dioxygen to water, making the prepared Pt colloids potential candidates for the efficient cathode material in fuel cells.

Preparation and evaluation of a proton exchange membrane based on oxidation and water stable sulfonated polyimides

A series of novel oxidation and water stable sulfonated polyimides (SPIs) were synthesized from 4,4'-binaphthyl-1,1',8,8'-tetracarboxylic dianhydride (BTDA), and wholly aromatic diamine 2,2'-bis(3-sulfobenzoyl) benzidine (2,2'-BSBB) for proton exchange membrane fuel cells. These polyimides could be cast into flexible and tough membranes from m-cresol solutions. The copolymer membranes exhibited excellent oxidative stability and mechanical properties due to their fully aromatic structure extending through the backbone and pendant groups. Moreover, all BTDA-based SPI membranes exhibited much better water stability than those based on the conventional 1,4,5,8-naphthalenecarboxylic dianhydride. The improved water stability of BTDA-based polyimides was attributed to its unique binaphthalimide structure. The SPI membranes with ion exchange capacity (IEC) of 1.36-1.90 mequiv g(-1) had proton conductivity in the range of 0.41 x 10(-1) to 1. 12 x 10(-1) S cm(-1) at 20 degrees C. The membrane with IEC value of 1.90 mequiv g(-1) displayed reasonably higher proton conductivity than Nafion((R)) 117 (0.9 x 10(-1) S cm(-1)) under the same test condition and the high conductivity of 0.184 S cm(-1) was obtained at 80 degrees C. Microscopic analyses revealed that well-dispersed hydrophilic domains contribute to better proton conducting properties. These results showed that the synthesized materials might have the potential to be applied as the proton exchange membranes for PEMFCs.

Enhancement of the electrooxidation of ethanol on Pt-Sn-P/C catalysts prepared by chemical deposition process

In this paper, five Pt3Sn1/C catalysts have been prepared using three different methods. It was found that phosphorus deposited on the surface of carbon with Pt and Sn when sodium hypophosphite was used as reducing agent by optimization of synthetic conditions such as pH in the synthetic solution and temperature. The deposition of phosphorus should be effective on the size reduction and markedly reduces PtSn nanoparticle size, and raise electrochemical active surface (EAS) area of catalyst and improve the catalytic performance. TEM images show PtSnP nanoparticles are highly dispersed on the carbon surface with average diameters of 2 nm. The optimum composition is Pt3Sn1P2/C (note PtSn/C-3) catalyst in my work. With this composition, it shows very high activity for the electrooxidation of ethanol and exhibit enhanced performance compared with other two Pt3Sn1/C catalysts that prepared using ethylene glycol reduction method (note PtSn/C-EG) and borohydride reduction method (note PtSn/-B). The maximum power densities of direct ethanol fuel cell (DEFC) were 61 mW cm(-2) that is 150 and 170% higher than that of the PtSn/C-EG and PtSn/C-B catalyst.

Effect of pretreatment of black carbon on electrocatalytic activity of Pt/C catalyst for methanol oxidation

Direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) has attracted wide attention due to its many advantages. However, its practical application is limited by the low electrocatalytic activity of the anodic Pt/C catalyst usually used for the methanol oxidation. In this paper, in order to increase the electrocatalytic performance of the Pt/C catalyst for the methanol oxidation, the black carbon, usually used as the supporter, was pretreated with CO2, air, HNO3 or H2O2. The cyclic voltarnmetric results indicated that the current densities of the anodic peak of methanol oxidation at the Pt/C catalysts with the black carbon pretreated with CO2,air, HN03, H202 and untreated black carbon were 39, 33, 32, 20 and 18 mA center dot cm(-2), respectively, illustrating that among the above five kinds of the Pt/C catalysts, the Pt/C catalyst with the black carbon pretreated with CO2 shows the best electrocatalytic activity and stability for the methanol oxidation. Its main reason is that the CO2 pretreatment could reduce the content of the oxygen-containing groups on the surface of the black carbon and increase the content of graphite in the black carbon, leading to the low resistance of the black carbon and the increase in the dispersion extent of the Pt particles in the Pt/C catalyst.

New proton exchange membranes based on poly (vinyl alcohol) for DMFCs

A series of new composite proton exchange membranes for direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs) based on poly (vinyl alcohol) (PVA), phosphotungstic acid (PWA) and silica were prepared. The highest proton conductivity (a) of these membranes is 0.017 S/cm at ambient temperature. The methanol permeability (D) of these composite membranes ranges from 10(-7) to 10(-8) cm(2)/S. From the ratios of sigma/D, it was found that the optimal weight composition of the PVA/PWA/SiO2 membrane is PVA/PWA/SiO2=0.40:0.40:0.20 wt. Infrared (IR) spectrographic measurements indicate that the Keggin structure characteristics of the PW12O403- anion is present in the composite membranes. Cyclic voltammetry shows that the electrochemical stability window of the complex membrane is from -0.5 to 1.5 V vs. Ag/AgCl electrode. The results of differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) show that silica can improve the thermal stability of the complexes and the single Tg of the membrane indicates that the membrane is homogeneous. The complexes behave as X-ray amorphous.

Influence of electrode structure on the performance of a direct methanol fuel cell

Direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs) consisting of multi-layer electrodes provide higher performance than those with the traditional electrode. The new electrode structure includes a hydrophilic thin film and a traditional catalyst layer. A decal transfer method was used to apply the thin film to the Nafion(R) membrane. Results show that the performance of a cell with the hydrophilic thin film is obviously enhanced. A cell with the optimal thin film electrode structure operating at I M CH3OH, 2 atm oxygen and 90degreesC yields a current density of 100 mA/cm(2) at 0.53 V cell voltage. The peak power density is 120 mW/cm(2). The performance stability of a cell in a short-term life operation was also increased when the hydrophilic thin film was employed. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Electrochemical performance of mixed ionic-electronic conducting oxides as anodes for solid oxide fuel cell

Mixed ionic-electronic conducting (MIEC) oxides, SrFeCo0.5Ox, SrCo0.8Fe0.2O3-delta and La0.6Sr0.4Fe0.8Co0.2O3-delta have been synthesized and prepared on yttria-stabilized zirconia as anodes for solid oxide fuel cells. Power output measurements show that the anodes composed of such kinds of oxides exhibit modest electrochemical activities to both H-2 and CH4 fuels, giving maximum power densities of around 0.1 W/cm(2) at 950 degrees C. Polarization and AC impedance measurements found that large activation overpotentials and ohmic resistance drops were the main causes for the relative inferior performance to the Ni-YSZ anode. While interlayered with an Ni-YSZ anode, a significant improvement in the electrochemical performance was observed. in particular, for the SrFeCo0.5Ox oxide interlayered Ni-YSZ anode, the maximum power output reaches 0.25 W/cm2 on CH,, exceeding those of both SrFeCo0.5Ox and the Ni-YSZ, as anodes alone. A synergetic effect of SrFeCo0.5Ox and the Ni-YSZ has been observed. Future work is needed to examine the long-term stability of MIEC oxide electrodes under a very reducing environment. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

A comprehensive comparison of fuel options for fuel cell vehicles in China

Fuel cell vehicles (FCVs) offer the potential of ultra-low emissions combined with high efficiency. Proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells being developed for vehicles require hydrogen as a fuel. Due to the various pathways of hydrogen generation, both onboard and off-board, the question about which fuel option is the most competitive for fuel cell vehicles is of great current interest. In this paper, a life-cycle assessment (LCA) model was made to conduct a comprehensive study of the energy, environmental, and economic (3E) impacts of FCVs from well to wheel (WTW). In view of the special energy structure of China and the timeframe, 10 vehicle/fuel systems are chosen as the study projects. The results show that methanol is the most suitable fuel to serve as the ideal hydrogen source for fuel cell vehicles in the timeframe and geographic regions of this study. On the other hand, gasoline and pure hydrogen can also play a role in short-term and regional applications, especially for local demonstrations of FCV fleets. (c) 2004 Elsevier B.V All rights reserved.

Structure and chemical composition of supported Pt-Sn electrocatalysts for ethanol oxidation

Carbon supported PtSn alloy and PtSnOx particles with nominal Pt:Sn ratios of 3:1 were prepared by a modified polyol method. High resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) and X-ray microchemical analysis were used to characterize the composition, size, distribution, and morphology of PtSn particles. The particles are predominantly single nanocrystals with diameters in the order of 2.0-3.0 nm. According to the XRD results, the lattice constant of Pt in the PtSn alloy is dilated due to Sn atoms penetrating into the Pt crystalline lattice. While for PtSnOx nanoparticles, the lattice constant of Pt only changed a little. HRTEM micrograph of PtSnOx clearly shows that the change of the spacing of Pt (111) plane is neglectable, meanwhile, SnO2 nanoparticles, characterized with the nominal 0.264 nm spacing of SnO2 (10 1) plane, were found in the vicinity of Pt particles. In contrast, the HRTEM micrograph of PtSn alloy shows that the spacing of Pt (111) plane extends to 0.234 nm from the original 0.226 nm. High resolution energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (HR-EDS) analyses show that all investigated particles in the two PtSn catalysts represent uniform Pt/Sn compositions very close to the nominal one. Cyclic voltammograms (CV) in sulfuric acid show that the hydrogen ad/desorption was inhibited on the surface of PtSn alloy compared to that on the surface of the PtSnOx catalyst. PtSnOx catalyst showed higher catalytic activity for ethanol electro-oxidation than PtSn alloy from the results of chronoamperometry (CA) analysis and the performance of direct ethanol fuel cells (DEFCs). It is deduced that the unchanged lattice parameter of Pt in the PtSnOx catalyst is favorable to ethanol adsorption and meanwhile, tin oxide in the vicinity of Pt nanoparticles could offer oxygen species conveniently to remove the CO-like species of ethanolic residues to free Pt active sites. (C) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

短时微重力条件下燃料电池性能实验研究

开展了不同重力情况下燃料电池性能的实验研究.利用微重力落塔,对常重力和微重力条件下燃料电池发电时其内部的两相流动开展了可视化现场观测.对重力因素对燃料电池内部传质过程的影响进行了分析和讨论.实验结果表明:当电流密度较大时,在微重力环境中燃料电池性能较常重力环境中的有较明显下降.由于微重力条件下浮升力的消失导致气体不能及时从流道中排出,进而对直接甲醇燃料电池内的传质过程产生负面影响.

质子交换膜燃料电池短时微重力性能实验研究

利用落塔开展了不同重力情况下质子交换膜燃料电池性能的实验研究.对常重力和微重力条件下质子交换膜燃料电池发电时其阴极蛇形流场内部的两相流动开展了可视化现场观测.对重力因素对质子交换膜燃料电池内部传质过程的影响进行了分析和讨论.实验结果表明:在常重力环境中,液态水堆积在竖置流道的底部,无法有效排出.聚集在流道内的液态水与反应气体在流道内形成气/液两相流动.在微重力环境中,液态水在气体推动力的作用下从流道的底部上升并沿流道向出口流动.聚集在流道内的液态水排除后,减小了反应气体(氧气)从流道向催化层的传递阻力,从而使质子交换膜燃料电池的性能得到提高.

低分子有机酸对辣椒生长发育及叶片活性氧代谢的影响

采用盆栽试验与室内分析相结合的方法,研究了6种低分子有机酸和一种有机酸盐对辣椒生长发育和叶片活性氧代谢的影响。结果表明:柠檬酸、乙酰丙酸和有机酸钾处理不仅可显著提高辣椒根系干质量,增加辣椒vC含量,而且提高了辣椒的产量。甲酸、柠檬酸、乙酰丙酸和有机酸钾处理使根系活力比对照分别提高83%、93.8%、96.75%和99.5%。柠檬酸、乙酰丙酸和有机酸钾处理提高了辣椒叶片的SOD和POD活性,降低了膜脂过氧化产物MDA含量,延缓了叶片衰老。但是低分子有机酸处理对CAT活性的影响较小。

直接甲醇燃料电池耐甲醇氧还原电催化剂的研究

燃料电池以其高效、环境友好的发电方式，被誉为21世纪的能源技术。其中，直接甲醇燃料电池（DMFC）更以燃料甲醇来源丰富，价格低廉，储存、携带方便而成为近年的研究热点。目前DNDFC存在的一个主要问题是"甲醇透过"，即甲醇从阳极穿过固体电解质膜进入到阴极，而阴极催化剂一般是Pt/C，因此在阴极会同时发生甲醇氧化和氧还原，严重降低了电池的库仑效率和电压效率。此夕卜甲醇及其氧化中间产物还会使P口C中毒。虽然试验了一些低甲醇透过率的电解质膜，但仍无法完全消除甲醇透过。因此研制对氧还原催化活性高而对甲醇氧化没有活性，即耐甲醇的氧还原电催化剂是一个十分重要的课题。本论文主要从催化剂的组成、热处理、制备方法和载体等方面进行了相关研究，此外，还开展了生物燃料电池阴极电催化剂的研究。具体结果如下：1．热处理对电催化剂性能的影响（1）首次研究了炭载铂（Pt/C）对氧还原和甲醇氧化的催化活性与热处理温度的关系。发现P"C的催化活性随热处理温度的升高而降低，其原因是热处理使R／C中Pt的结晶度提高、粒径变大、表面浓度降低。但是，热处理使PUC催化甲醇氧化活性的降低程度远大于催化氧还原活性的降低程度。该研究提供了一种有效改善P口C催化剂耐甲醇性能的简便方法。（2）研究了炭载四狡基酞著钻（CoPcTc／C）和炭载四苯基铁叶琳（FeTPP／C）对氧还原和甲醇氧化的催化活性与热处理温度的关系。发现800℃热处理的CoPcTc／C对氧还原的催化活性最高；XPS和XRD分析表明，其活性位主要为含CoN4结构的物质。FeTPP／C催化剂与CoPcTc／C类似，700℃热处理的对氧还原催化活性最高。二者对甲醇氧化都没有活性。（3）首次研究了炭载四苯基铁叶琳一铂（FeTPP-Pt/C）复合催化剂对氧还原和甲醇氧化的催化活性与热处理温度的关系。发现热处理使FeTPP-Pt/C对氧还原的催化活性提高，并且优于相应P灯C，这是因为复合催化剂对氧还原的催化活性来源于FeTPP和Pt两部分。另外，FeTPP-Pt／C对甲醇氧化的催化活性随热处理温度的升高而降低，降低幅度大于相应Pt/C，这是因为在复合催化剂中，FeTPP在Pt/C表面的分散会降低甲醇与R的接触。700℃热处理的FeTPP-Pt/C对氧还原的催化活性最高，并且耐甲醇能力很强，非常适合作为DMFC阴极电催化剂。（4）首次研究了FeTPP-TiO2/C复合催化剂对氧还原的催化活性与热处理温度的关系。发现70。℃热处理的FeTPP-TiO2／C对氧还原的催化活性最高，并且稳定性好；复合催化剂提高了氧还原的电子转移数。这是因为TIOZ能够将FeTPP催化氧还原过程中产生的H2O2及时分解为O2和H2O，再重新被FeTPP还原。TIOZ的加入有望改善过渡金属大环化合物催化剂的长程稳定性。此夕卜该复合催化剂对甲醇氧化没有活性。2．制备方法对电催化剂性能的影响（1）首次同时研究了Pt/C对氧还原和甲醇氧化的催化性能，讨论了影响Pt/C催化活性的主要因素。XRD、XPS和TEM分析表明，无定型Pt含量高的Pt/C对氧还原的催化活性较高，表面氧化物含量高的Pt/C对甲醇氧化的催化活性较高。为制备耐甲醇能力强、催化氧还原活性高的Pt/C催化剂提供了理论参考。（2）比较了平衡吸附法和强制沉积法制备的FeTPP-Pt/C催化剂的性能，发现前者对氧还原和甲醇氧化的催化活性都高于后者，这是因为由强制吸附法制备的复合催化剂，FeTPP将一部分Pt覆盖，使其无法发挥活性。3．活性炭载体对Pt/C电催化剂性能的影响利用多种分析手段，系统比较了VulcanXC-72炭和上海松木炭的物理、化学性质对Pt/C电催化剂性能的影响。发现孔径适当、电导率高、灰分和表面含氧基团较少的活性炭作载体时，制得的P口C催化剂的性能较好。为PEMFC中电催化剂载体的选择提供了一些理论依据。4．生物燃料电池阴极电催化剂的研究首次制备了炭载微过氧化物酶-11（MP-11／C）电催化剂，通过循环伏安法、线性扫描法和旋转圆盘电极技术研究发现，MP-11／C对O2还原具有较高的催化活性，并且稳定性好，为生物燃料电池的研制提供了一种较好的酶固定方法。