Event Details
Anode Catalysts for Direct Methanol Fuel Cells
Presenter: Christina Bock
Supervisor:
Date: Wed, May 29, 2002
Time: 14:00:00 - 15:00:00
Place: EOW 430
ABSTRACT
Abstract:
The direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) is emerging as a potential commercial power source for portable devices and transportation purposes. Among other obstacles, the performance of the anode catalysts towards the oxidation of methanol to CO2 needs to be improved. Up to now, Pt/Ru anode catalysts show superior performance for the CH3OH oxidation reaction. It is known that the ratio and atomic distribution of the Pt and Ru catalyst sites influence the CH3OH oxidation kinetics. The chemical state of the Ru ad-metal is also believed to influence the CH3OH oxidation kinetics, however, clear inconsistencies concerning the nature of the most active Ru state exist. In more recent work, significantly poorer activities for the CH3OH oxidation reaction than bulk mixtures of Pt metal, Pt hydrous oxides and hydrous and dehydrated RuO2 have been reported. Based on these results, it was recommended that the use of bimetallic PtRu alloy catalysts is to be avoided, while in other work metallic PtRu alloy catalysts are suggested to have superior CH3OH oxidation activity.
In this talk, the electrochemical methanol oxidation reaction and anode catalyst factors influencing the reaction are briefly reviewed. More detailed results of activities towards CH3OH and adsorbed carbon monoxide oxidation for differently prepared Pt/Ru catalysts are discussed. A novel method for the estimation of the electro-active Pt area of these catalysts is also introduced.
Christina Bock is a Research Scientist at the National Research Council Canada, working in the group on "Electrochemistry for Clean Chemical Processing". This group has developed catalysts for oxidation of organic wastes and more recently has applied its catalytic background to study direct methanol fuel cell catalysts.