ACT/SGER: Fuel Cell Electrocatalysts and Membraneless Fuel Cells

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

We will focus our efforts in order to: (i) expand our ongoing work on the development of electrocatalytic materials for fuel cell applications based on ordered intermetallic phases, and (ii) employ these materials in both conventional fuel cells and in a new planar membraneless microchannel fuel cell design that we have recently developed. In the first part, the intent is to take advantage of the broad parameter-space available within the wide-range of ordered intermetallic phases with emphasis on binary and ternary phases, thereby asserting predictable control over structural, geometric and electronic effects in order to tailor materials for specific fuel cell applications with initial emphasis on anodes for direct fuel cells employing small organic molecules (including formic acid, methanol, and ethanol among others) as fuels. The use of ordered intermetallic phases as electrode materials is truly novel, and our work to date indicates that they could potentially represent an enabling technology for employing complex and high energy density fuels in high efficiency fuel cell applications. In the second part, we will employ nanoparticles of the materials described above and test them as fuel cell electrodes both in conventional fuel cells and in a new planar membraneless microchannel fuel cell design that we recently developed around the concept of laminar flow established through the use of a tapered flow boundary. The development of membraneless microchannel fuel cells represents an advance that could serve as a general energy platform for intelligence applications.The proposed work is intended to develop superior electrode materials for fuel cell applications through the use of the general class of materials known as "ordered intermetallics". The most promising candidates will be tested as very small particles (nanoparticles) using a flow fuel cell which will help in the rapid screening of materials under more realistic conditions. The Approaches to Combat Terrorism Program in the Directorate for Mathematics and Physical Sciences supports new concepts in basic research and workforce development with the potential to contribute to national security.