Oxygen reduction reaction ORR activity

The formation and processing of MEAs from any new polymers, including any critical additives, is also being addressed. The oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) activity within MEAs containing different additives or other mechanisms of proton transfer must be understood as well. 

At the medium frequency range, the loop is associated to the cathode charge transfer related to oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) activation losses [46]. This medium frequency loop is... 

In this section, we summarize the kinetic behavior of the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), mainly on platinum electrodes since this metal is the most active electrocatalyst for this reaction in an acidic medium. The discussion will, however, be restricted to the characteristics of this reaction in DMFCs because of the possible presence in the cathode compartment of methanol, which can cross over the proton exchange membrane. 

This allows a direct influence of the alloying component on the electronic properties of these unique Pt near-surface formations from subsurface layers, which is the crucial difference in these materials. In addition, the electronic and geometric structures of skin and skeleton were found to be different for example, the skin surface is smoother and the band center position with respect to the metallic Fermi level is downshifted for skin surfaces (Fig. 8.12) [Stamenkovic et al., 2006a] owing to the higher content of non-Pt atoms in the second layer. On both types of surface, the relationship between the specific activity for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and the tf-band center position exhibits a volcano-shape, with the maximum... 

In order to establish a clear strategy, we have examined the properties of Pt-based catalysts for both the hydrogen oxidation reaction (HOR) and the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) systematically and comprehensively using various techniques, the results of which complement each other. We have also developed a standard method to evaluate the real activity. In this chapter, we summarize our recent research results. 

The electrocatalytic activity of the nanostructured catalysts was investigated for electrocatalytic reduction of oxygen and oxidation of methanol. Several selected examples are discussed in this section. The results from electrochemical characterization of the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) are first described. This description is followed by discussion of the results from electrochemical characterization of the methanol oxidation reaction (MOR). 

Concentrating on the operation of the so-called membrane electrode assembly (MEA), E includes irreversible voltage losses due to proton conduction in the PEM and voltage losses due to transport and activation of electrocatalytic processes involved in the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in the cathode catalyst layer (CCL) ... 

The capability of SECM to detect and to image regions with different catalytic activities is well known [120-122]. So far, this technique has been applied to studies of mainly two electrocatalytic reactions, the hydrogen oxidation reaction (HOR) and the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), which have important implications for fuel cells. Unlike reversible redox mediators usually employed in SECM experiments, the kinetics of oxygen and hydrogen reactions are strongly dependent on the catalytic activity of the substrate surface. 

Development of supported Pt electrocatalysts came as a result of intensive research on fundamental and applied aspects of electrocatalysis [especially for kinetically difficult oxygen reduction reaction (ORR)] fueled by attempts at commercialization of medium-temperature phosphoric acid fuel cells (PAFCs) in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Dispersion of metal crystallites in a conductive carbon support resulted in significant improvements in all three polarization zones (activation, ohmic, and... 

The need to convert chemical energy to electricity, efficiently and at low temperature, has increased the development of materials with electrocatalytic activity toward multi-electron charge transfer. Reactions of technical relevance are, for example, cathodic processes, such as the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR),3 13 and anodic processes, such as small organics (R-OH, where R = CH3-3-12 or CH3CH-13-17) and sugars.18-20 These complex electrochemical processes are useful in low-temperature systems such as the direct methanol FC (DMFC) or biofuel cell systems. 

The catalytic activity of the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) at the fuel cell cathode is known to be relatively slow, presumably because it is a 4-electron (e ) mechanism ... 

Test benchmark catalysts with half-cell rapid screening technique for their activity in the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and compare ranking of catalysts with their performance in polymer electrolyte membrane MEAs. 

In another work, Shukla and co-authors [27] studied the electrocatalytic activity of carbon-supported Pt-Au alloy catalysts, with different atomic ratios, to improve the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) kinetics and methanol tolerance, in a direct methanol fuel ceU. The electrocatalysts were prepared by codeposition of Pt and Au nanoparticles onto a carbon support. 

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