Effect of pH in a Pd-based ethanol membraneless air breathing nanofluidic fuel cell with flow-through electrodes

[摘要] In this work, a nanofluidic fuel cell (NFC) in which streams flow through electrodes was used to investigate the role of pH in the cell performance using ethanol as fuel and two Pd nanoparticles as electrocatalysts: one commercially available (Pd/C from ETEK) and other synthesized using ionic liquids (Pd/C IL). The cell performances for both electrocatalysts in acid/acid (anodic/cathodic) streams were of 18.05 and 9.55 mW cm-2for Pd/C ETEK and Pd/C IL. In alkaline/alkaline streams, decrease to 15.94 mW cm-2for Pd/C ETEK and increase to 15.37 mW cm-2for Pd/C IL. In alkaline/acidic streams both electrocatalysts showed similar cell voltages (up to 1 V); meanwhile power densities were of 87.6 and 99.4 mW cm-2for Pd/C ETEK and Pd/C IL. The raise in cell performance can be related to a decrease in activation losses, the combined used of alkaline and acidic streams and these high values compared with flow-over fuel cells can be related to the enhancement of the cathodic mass transport by using three dimensional porous electrodes and two sources of oxygen: from air and from a saturated solution.

[发布机构] Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo Tecnológico en Electroquímica, Querétaro; 76703, Mexico^1;División de Investigación y Posgrado, Facultad de Ingeniería, Universidad Autónoma de Querétaro, Querétaro; 76010, Mexico^2;Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo Tecnológico en Electroquímica, Unidad Tijuana, Baja-California; 22444, Mexico^3;Tecnológico Nacional de México, Instituto Tecnológico de Tijuana, Apdo. Postal 1166, Tijuana, Baja California; 22000, Mexico^4

[效力级别] 能源学

[关键词] Acidic streams;Air breathing;Cell performance;Cell voltages;PD nano particle;Power densities;Saturated solutions;Three-dimensional porous electrodes