Direct alcohol fuel cells components

In the first chapter, we introduce the concept of methanol economy, as an alternative to the most popular but still elusive hydrogen economy, and we also provide a brief historical description of fundamental research on electrochemical oxidation of methanol and the development of the first alkaline direct methanol fuel cells more than 60 years ago. The operating principles of PEM and alkaline direct alcohol fuel cells are analyzed, as well as their components, configuration, and operation modes, with a final remark on the state of the art of the technology. 

The same group, in a previous work, reported on the realization of a hybrid anode electrode [197]. An appreciable improvement in methanol oxidation activity was observed at the anode in direct methanol fuel cells containing Pt-Ru and Ti02 particles. Such an improvement was ascribed to a synergic effect of the two components (photocatalyst and metal catalyst). A similar behavior was also reported for a Pt-Ti02-based electrode [198]. Another recent study involved the electrolysis of aqueous solutions of alcohols performed on a Ti02 nanotube-based anode under solar irradiation [199]. 

HjSO, but the magnitude of the current density was not affected largely up to a concentration of lOmmol dm . With 2-propanol, the current due to the alcohol oxidation was superimposed on the ORR current, and the potential shifted by approximately 0.5 V at 0.1 mol dm . Both 2-propanol and acetone are MEA components because 2-propanol is added to the catalyst ink, and acetone is produced by oxidation of 2-propanol on the platinum cathode. The effects are, however, not serious because their concentration is less than lOmmol dm . Methanol is used as a fuel in direct methanol fuel cells, and crossover through the polymer electrolyte membrane is known to cause a degradation of the ORR at the cathode, when the concentration of the fuel is as high as 5 mol dm . 

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