Electroactive alcohol fuels

Hydrogen is a secondary fuel and, like electricity, is an energy carrier. It is the most electroactive fuel for fuel cells operating at low and intermediate temperatures. Methanol and ethanol are the most electroactive alcohol fuels, and, when they are electro-oxidized directly at the fuel cell anode (instead of being transformed in a hydrogen-rich gas in a fuel processor), the fuel cell is called a DAFC either a DMFC (with methanol) or a DEFC (with ethanol). 

Besides, it has been shown that palladium is promising for direct alcohol fuel cells applications as it is very active for ethanol electro-oxidation in basic media and that its electroactivity is even higher than that of platinum. Recently, Pd nanoballs and nanowires synthesized by radiolysis in hexagonal mesophases have shown an important elec-trocatalytic activity for ethanol electro-oxidation. ... 

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