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Aarimuthu G, Sathiasivan K, Varadharajan S, Balakrishnan M, Albeshr MF, Alrefaei AF, Kim W. Enhanced membraneless fuel cells by electrooxidation of ethylene glycol with a nanostructured cobalt metal catalyst. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2023; 233:115601. [PMID: 36863657 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2023.115601] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2023] [Revised: 02/16/2023] [Accepted: 02/28/2023] [Indexed: 07/03/2023]
Abstract
The advancement of effective and long-lasting electrocatalysts for energy storage devices is crucial to reduce the impact of the energy crisis. In this study, a two-stage reduction process was used to synthesize carbon-supported cobalt alloy nanocatalysts with varying atomic ratios of cobalt, nickel and iron. The formed alloy nanocatalysts were investigated using energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and transmission electron microscopy to determine their physicochemical characterization. According to XRD results, Cobalt-based alloy nanocatalysts form a face-centered cubic solid solution pattern, illustrating thoroughly mixed ternary metal solid solutions. Transmission electron micrographs also demonstrated that samples of carbon-based cobalt alloys displayed homogeneous dispersion at particle sizes ranging from 18 to 37 nm. Measurements of cyclic voltammetry, linear sweep voltammetry, and chronoamperometry revealed that iron alloy samples exhibited much greater electrochemical activity than non-iron alloy samples. The alloy nanocatalysts were evaluated as anodes for the electrooxidation of ethylene glycol in a single membraneless fuel cell to assess their robustness and efficiency at ambient temperature. Remarkably, in line with the results of cyclic voltammetry and chronoamperometry, the single-cell test showed that the ternary anode works better than its counterparts. The significantly higher electrochemical activity was observed for alloy nanocatalysts containing iron than for non-iron alloy catalysts. Iron stimulates nickel sites to oxidize cobalt to cobalt oxyhydroxides at lower over-potentials, which contributes to the improved performance of ternary alloy catalysts containing iron.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gayathri Aarimuthu
- Department of Chemistry, Presidency College (Autonomous), University of Madras, Chennai, 600 005, India
| | - Kiruthika Sathiasivan
- Department of Chemical Engineering, College of Engineering and Technology, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Chennai, 603 203, India
| | - Selvarani Varadharajan
- Department of Chemistry, St. Joseph's Institute of Technology, Old Mamallapuram Road, Chennai, 600 119, India
| | - Muthukumaran Balakrishnan
- Department of Chemistry, Presidency College (Autonomous), University of Madras, Chennai, 600 005, India.
| | - Mohammed F Albeshr
- Department of Zoology, College of Sciences, King Saud University, P.O.Box.2455, Riyadh, 11451, Saudi Arabia
| | - Abdulwahed Fahad Alrefaei
- Department of Zoology, College of Sciences, King Saud University, P.O.Box.2455, Riyadh, 11451, Saudi Arabia
| | - Woong Kim
- Department of Environmental Engineering, Kyungpook National University, South Korea
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Muhammad S, Walsh DA. Electrochemistry of ethanol and dimethyl ether at a Pt electrode in a protic ionic liquid: the electrode poisoning mechanism. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2023; 25:21509-21520. [PMID: 37540208 DOI: 10.1039/d3cp02645k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/05/2023]
Abstract
A protic ionic liquid (PIL), N,N-diethyl-N-methyl ammonium trifluoromethane sulfonate, [dema][TfO] was synthesized and confirmed using 1H-NMR and ion chromatography (IC). The surface electrocatalysis of ethanol (EtOH) and dimethyl ether (DME) was investigated on a polycrystalline Pt electrode in a PIL using a cyclic voltammetry technique. The voltammetry response shows that surface Pt-oxides/hydroxides (PtOH/PtO) are formed due to the oxidation of trace water (240 ppm determined by coulometric Karl-Fischer (FT) titration) in [dema][TfO] which plays a pivotal role during the electrocatalytic oxidation of EtOH and DME in the PIL. Oxidation of EtOH and DME coincides with coverage of the Pt surface by the adsorbed oxide species that helps to activate both processes by oxidizing the adsorbed poisoning CO and CO-like intermediate species via a 'bifunctional' reaction mechanism. The influence of temperature was investigated to obtain quantitative and qualitative information on the kinetics of EtOH oxidation. Higher activation energies are measured for EtOH oxidation in [dema][TfO] than in aqueous electrolytes due to the low water content and high viscosity of the PIL. This study gave a basic insight into the mechanism of EtOH and DME oxidation reactions, and the Pt-electrode poisoning species formation mechanism in the neoteric electrolyte medium is electrochemically investigated and reported.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sayyar Muhammad
- School of Chemistry, GSK Carbon Neutral Laboratory for Sustainable Chemistry University of Nottingham, NG7 2TU, Nottingham, UK.
- Department of Chemistry, Islamia College Peshawar, Peshawar 25120, Pakistan
| | - Darren Anthony Walsh
- School of Chemistry, GSK Carbon Neutral Laboratory for Sustainable Chemistry University of Nottingham, NG7 2TU, Nottingham, UK.
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Roschger M, Wolf S, Billiani A, Mayer K, Hren M, Gorgieva S, Genorio B, Hacker V. Study on Commercially Available Membranes for Alkaline Direct Ethanol Fuel Cells. ACS OMEGA 2023; 8:20845-20857. [PMID: 37332806 PMCID: PMC10269243 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.3c01564] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2023] [Accepted: 05/24/2023] [Indexed: 06/20/2023]
Abstract
This study provides a comparison of different commercially available low-cost anion exchange membranes (AEMs), a microporous separator, a cation exchange membrane (CEM), and an anionic-treated CEM for their application in the liquid-feed alkaline direct ethanol fuel cell (ADEFC). Moreover, the effect on performance was evaluated taking two different modes of operation for the ADEFC, with AEM or CEM, into consideration. The membranes were compared with respect to their physical and chemical properties, such as thermal and chemical stability, ion-exchange capacity, ionic conductivity, and ethanol permeability. The influence of these factors on performance and resistance was determined by means of polarization curve and electrochemical impedance spectra (EIS) measurements in the ADEFC. In addition, the influence of two different commercial ionomers on the structure and transport properties of the catalyst layer and on the performance were analyzed with scanning electron microscopy, single cell tests, and EIS. The applicability barriers of the membranes were pointed out, and the ideal combinations of membrane and ionomer for the liquid-feed ADEFC achieved power densities of approximately 80 mW cm-2 at 80 °C.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michaela Roschger
- Institute
of Chemical Engineering and Environmental Technology, Graz University of Technology, Inffeldgasse 25/C, 8010 Graz, Austria
| | - Sigrid Wolf
- Institute
of Chemical Engineering and Environmental Technology, Graz University of Technology, Inffeldgasse 25/C, 8010 Graz, Austria
| | - Andreas Billiani
- Institute
of Chemical Engineering and Environmental Technology, Graz University of Technology, Inffeldgasse 25/C, 8010 Graz, Austria
| | - Kurt Mayer
- Institute
of Chemical Engineering and Environmental Technology, Graz University of Technology, Inffeldgasse 25/C, 8010 Graz, Austria
| | - Maša Hren
- Faculty
of Mechanical Engineering, University of
Maribor, Smetanova Ulica 17, 2000 Maribor, Slovenia
| | - Selestina Gorgieva
- Faculty
of Mechanical Engineering, University of
Maribor, Smetanova Ulica 17, 2000 Maribor, Slovenia
| | - Boštjan Genorio
- Faculty
of Chemistry and Chemical Technology, University
of Ljubljana, Večna
Pot 113, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Viktor Hacker
- Institute
of Chemical Engineering and Environmental Technology, Graz University of Technology, Inffeldgasse 25/C, 8010 Graz, Austria
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Roschger M, Wolf S, Mayer K, Billiani A, Genorio B, Gorgieva S, Hacker V. Influence of the electrocatalyst layer thickness on alkaline DEFC performance. SUSTAINABLE ENERGY & FUELS 2023; 7:1093-1106. [PMID: 36818600 PMCID: PMC9926948 DOI: 10.1039/d2se01729f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2022] [Accepted: 01/16/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Determining the optimum layer thickness, for the anode and cathode, is of utmost importance for minimizing the costs of the alkaline direct ethanol fuel cell (DEFC) without lowering the electrochemical performance. In this study, the influence of layer thickness on the performance of the ethanol oxidation reaction (EOR) and oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in an alkaline medium and resistance was investigated. The prepared gas diffusion electrodes (GDEs) were fully characterized, with scanning electron microscopy to determine the layer thickness and electrochemically in half-cell configuration. Cyclic voltammetry and polarization curve measurements were used to determine the oxidation and reduction processes of the metals, the electrochemical active surface area, and the activity towards the ORR and EOR. It was demonstrated that realistic reaction conditions can be achieved with simple and fast half-cell GDE measurements. Single cell measurements were conducted to evaluate the influence of factors, such as membrane or ethanol crossover. In addition, electrochemical impedance spectra investigation was performed to identify the effect of layer thickness on resistance. This successfully demonstrated that the optimal layer thicknesses and high maximum power density values (120 mW cm-2) were achieved with the Pt-free catalysts and membranes used.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michaela Roschger
- Institute of Chemical Engineering and Environmental Technology, Graz University of Technology Inffeldgasse 25/C 8010 Graz Austria
| | - Sigrid Wolf
- Institute of Chemical Engineering and Environmental Technology, Graz University of Technology Inffeldgasse 25/C 8010 Graz Austria
| | - Kurt Mayer
- Institute of Chemical Engineering and Environmental Technology, Graz University of Technology Inffeldgasse 25/C 8010 Graz Austria
| | - Andreas Billiani
- Institute of Chemical Engineering and Environmental Technology, Graz University of Technology Inffeldgasse 25/C 8010 Graz Austria
| | - Boštjan Genorio
- Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Technology, University of Ljubljana Večna pot 113 1000 Ljubljana Slovenia
| | - Selestina Gorgieva
- Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, University of Maribor Smetanova ulica 17 2000 Maribor Slovenia
| | - Viktor Hacker
- Institute of Chemical Engineering and Environmental Technology, Graz University of Technology Inffeldgasse 25/C 8010 Graz Austria
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Metal-nitrogen co-doped hierarchical porous carbon derived from the bimetallic metal-organic framework as ORR electrocatalyst for passive alkaline direct ethanol fuel cell. J Electroanal Chem (Lausanne) 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jelechem.2022.116620] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
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Biancolli ALG, Lopes T, Paganin VA, Ticianelli EA. PEM fuel cells fed by hydrogen from ethanol dehydrogenation reaction: Unveiling the poisoning mechanisms of the by-products. Electrochim Acta 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.electacta.2020.136773] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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