Nickel–copper supported on a carbon black hydrogen oxidation catalyst integrated into an anion-exchange membrane fuel cell
| Autor: | Plamen Atanassov, Aaron Roy, Morteza Rezaei Talarposhti, Iryna V. Zenyuk, Stanley J. Normile, Kateryna Artyushkova, Vincent De Andrade, Alexey Serov |
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| Rok vydání: | 2018 |
| Předmět: |
Materials science
Renewable Energy Sustainability and the Environment Membrane electrode assembly Energy Engineering and Power Technology chemistry.chemical_element 02 engineering and technology Carbon black 010402 general chemistry 021001 nanoscience & nanotechnology Electrocatalyst 01 natural sciences 0104 chemical sciences Anode Catalysis Nickel Fuel Technology Membrane Chemical engineering chemistry Cyclic voltammetry 0210 nano-technology |
| Zdroj: | Sustainable Energy & Fuels. 2:2268-2275 |
| ISSN: | 2398-4902 |
| Popis: | This work introduces the first practical platinum group metal-free (PGM-free) electrocatalyst for the hydrogen oxidation reaction (HOR) in alkaline membrane fuel cells (AMFCs), based on nickel-rich Ni95Cu5-alloy nanoparticles supported on Ketjenblack (KB) family carbon blacks. The catalyst synthesis is scalable and results in an expected true alloy of NiCu, which is thoroughly characterized by XRD, microscopy and XPS. The reactivity of the catalyst towards the HOR is studied by cyclic voltammetry and explained in view of its composition and structure. This catalyst showed the highest specific activity compared to previously reported NiCu electrocatalysts and was successfully integrated into an AMFC membrane electrode assembly (MEA) using a commercially available state-of-the-art membrane and an ionomer. Single MEA fuel cell tests have demonstrated a power density of 350 mW cm−2 at 80 °C, which sets a technical record for a PGM-free anode in realistic operating conditions. The MEA with the NiCu/KB anode catalyst layer was evaluated by in situ nano- and in operando micro-X-ray computed tomography (CT) and the results suggest that the nickel state in NiCu is hydrophobic in nature, where the NiCu surface may be isostructural with β-Ni(OH)2. The hydrophobic nature of the electrocatalyst allows for improved water distribution in the MEA and overall fuel cell as observed by in operando micro-X-ray CT. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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