Methanol-Tolerant Platinum-Palladium Catalyst Supported on Nitrogen-Doped Carbon Nanofiber for High Concentration Direct Methanol Fuel Cells.
Pt-Pd catalyst supported on nitrogen-doped carbon nanofiber (N-CNF) was prepared and evaluated as a cathode electrode of the direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC). The N-CNF, which was directly synthesized by the catalytic chemical vapor deposition from acetonitrile at 640 °C, was verified as having a change of electrochemical surface properties such as oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) activities and the electrochemical double layer compared with common carbon black (CB). To attain the competitive oxygen reduction reaction activity with methanol tolerance, the Pt and Pd metals were supported on the CB or the N-CNF. The physical and electrochemical characteristics of the N-CNF-supported Pt-Pd catalyst were examined and compared with catalyst supported on the CB. In addition, DMFC single cells using these catalysts as the cathode electrode were applied to obtain I-V polarization curves and constant current operating performances with high-concentration methanol as the fuel. Pt-Pd catalysts had obvious ORR activity even in the presence of methanol. The higher power density was obtained at all the methanol concentrations when it applied to the membrane electrode assembly (MEA) of the DMFC. When the N-CNF is used as the catalyst support material, a better performance with high-concentration methanol is expected.
Fuel Cell Research Center, Korea Institute of Energy Research (KIER), Daejeon 305-343, Korea. jyoung509@ust.ac.kr.|Advanced Energy Technology and System, University of Science and Technology (UST), Daejeon 305-333, Korea. jyoung509@ust.ac.kr.
Jiyoung
J
Kim
Fuel Cell Research Center, Korea Institute of Energy Research (KIER), Daejeon 305-343, Korea. jwjjs@hanmail.net.|Advanced Energy Technology and System, University of Science and Technology (UST), Daejeon 305-333, Korea. jwjjs@hanmail.net.
Jin-Sung
JS
Jang
Fuel Cell Research Center, Korea Institute of Energy Research (KIER), Daejeon 305-343, Korea. dhpeck@kier.re.kr.|Advanced Energy Technology and System, University of Science and Technology (UST), Daejeon 305-333, Korea. dhpeck@kier.re.kr.
Dong-Hyun
DH
Peck
Fuel Cell Research Center, Korea Institute of Energy Research (KIER), Daejeon 305-343, Korea. brlee@kier.re.kr.
Byungrok
B
Lee
Institute for Materials Chemistry and Engineering, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 816-8580, Japan. yoon@cm.kyushu-u.ac.jp.
Seong-Ho
SH
Yoon
Fuel Cell Research Center, Korea Institute of Energy Research (KIER), Daejeon 305-343, Korea. doohwan@kier.re.kr.|Advanced Energy Technology and System, University of Science and Technology (UST), Daejeon 305-333, Korea. doohwan@kier.re.kr.
Doo-Hwan
DH
Jung
direct methanol fuel cell; methanol tolerant; nitrogen doped carbon nanofiber; oxygen reduction reaction