Methanol Tolerance and the Economics of these Catalysts

As stated at the beginning of this Section 9.5, a major driving force for the development of non-noble metal catalysts is flic tower-cost factor (along with potential mefiianol tolerance in the case of the DMFC system). But even if the cost of large-scale synthesis of these non-Pt catalyst formulations in a fuel cell stable 

Based on the extensive research performed over the past 20 years, of which only a small fraction has been presented here, there is no doubt that real advances have been made in understanding the concept of electron reservoirs created in the chevrel-type cluster units for electrocatalysis of reactions like the ORR. The investigated catalytic materials are indeed novel, and seem to have the ability to provide coordination (through their catalytic centers) for oxygen reactivity and selectivity. They have certainly thrown light on the nature of the complicated ORR, and have provided researchers with a eontrolled system for the systematic investigation of this best known cathodic reaction. 

Will such compounds (or even the maeroeyelies discussed earlier) soon replace Pt as the FC catalytic material of choiee The answer is most probably no , at least in the near future. Industry will go with what is tried and true, espeeially when long-term performance and reprodueibly are paramount in sueh systems for real- 

McKee DW, Norton JF. Catalytic exchange of methane and deuterium on platinum, mthenium, and platinum-rathenium alloys. J Phys Chem 1964 68(3) 481. 

Bock C, MacDougall B, LePage Y. Dependence of CH3OH oxidation activity for a wide range of PtRu Alloys detailed analysis and new views. J Eleetrochem Soc 2004 151(8) A1269. 

---