title: Direct alcohol fuel cells: toward the power densities of hydrogen-fed proton exchange membrane fuel cells.
abstract: A 2 μm thick layer of TiO2 nanotube arrays was prepared on the surface of the Ti fibers of a nonwoven web electrode. After it was doped with Pd nanoparticles (1.5 mgPd  cm(-2) ), this anode was employed in a direct alcohol fuel cell. Peak power densities of 210, 170, and 160 mW cm(-2) at 80 °C were produced if the cell was fed with 10 wt % aqueous solutions of ethanol, ethylene glycol, and glycerol, respectively, in 2 M aqueous KOH. The Pd loading of the anode was increased to 6 mg cm(-2) by combining four single electrodes to produce a maximum peak power density with ethanol at 80 °C of 335 mW cm(-2) . Such high power densities result from a combination of the open 3 D structure of the anode electrode and the high electrochemically active surface area of the Pd catalyst, which promote very fast kinetics for alcohol electro-oxidation. The peak power and current densities obtained with ethanol at 80 °C approach the output of H2 -fed proton exchange membrane fuel cells.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Chemistry of Organometallic Compounds, ICCOM-CNR, Polo Scientifico Area CNR, Via Madonna del Piano 10, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino (Italy); Department of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, ICCOM-CNR Trieste Research Unit, University of Trieste, Via L. Giorgieri, 1 34127 Trieste (Italy).
authors.forename: Yanxin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bellini
authors.forename: Manuela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bevilacqua
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Fornasiero
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lavacchi
authors.forename: Hamish A
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Miller
authors.forename: Lianqin
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Vizza
mesh_terms: D000438:Alcohols / Q000737:chemistry*; D002384:Catalysis; D011211:Electric Power Supplies; D004563:Electrochemistry; D004566:Electrodes; D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D053768:Metal Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry; D043942:Nanotubes / Q000737:chemistry; D010165:Palladium / Q000737:chemistry; D011522:Protons; D014025:Titanium / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D000438:Alcohols; D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D011522:Protons; D010165:Palladium; D014025:Titanium
keywords: biomass; electrochemistry; fuel cells; palladium; titanium