Development of novel nanosized electrocatalysts for direct bioethanol fuel cells

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The development of alternative power sources has become a crucial issue of research and development. One of the main goals in this quest is the reduction of emission of greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide. Fuel cells appear to be very promising as power supplies for automotive, portable or stationary applications. Methanol has been considered a strong contender in the realm of alternative fuels. However, methanol is a toxic compound to human and animal life. It is also a pollutant, so that its extensive use is inconceivable because of environmental hazards. A good substitute is ethanol, which has a very positive environmental, health, and safety footprint with no major uncertainties or hazards. Ethanol can be obtained in great quantity from biomass. Bio-generated ethanol is thus attractive since it will not change the natural balance of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. The complete electro-oxidation of ethanol involves the release of 12 electrons per ethanol molecule and the cleavage of the C-C bond. The latter bond is believed to play a key role in the mechanism and has a determining effect on the fuel cell efficiency and the theoretical energy yield. Thus, a good electrocatalyst towards the complete oxidation of ethanol must activate the C-C bond breaking while avoiding the poisoning of the catalytic surface by CO species as it occurs with methanol oxidation. The ultimate goal of this project is to develop new catalyst nanoparticles of well-controlled shape, size, and composition with excellent stability and enhanced electrocatalytic activity towards the oxidation of ethanol. We propose to investigate the interaction of ethanol with several Pt-based compounds by characterizing the microstructure and physical properties, determining the identities of the reaction intermediates and poisons, and relating them to the electrochemical performance of the electrode. The new knowledge generated from this project and the training of highly qualified personnel will be critical in stimulating the development of Canadian novel next generation technology sectors.