ACT/SGER: Fuel Cell Electrocatalysts and Membraneless Fuel Cells

我们将集中我们的努力，以便：（一）扩大我们正在进行的工作，对燃料电池应用的电催化材料的开发基于有序的金属间相，和（二）采用这些材料在传统的燃料电池和在一个新的平面无膜微通道燃料电池设计，我们最近开发的。在第一部分中，目的是利用在有序金属间相的宽范围内可获得的宽参数空间，重点是二元和三元相，从而断言对结构、几何和电子效应的可预测控制，以便定制用于特定燃料电池应用的材料，其中初始重点是用于采用小有机分子的直接燃料电池的阳极在一些实施方案中，燃料可以是乙醇（包括甲酸、甲醇和乙醇等）作为燃料。使用有序的金属间相作为电极材料确实是新颖的，并且我们迄今为止的工作表明，它们可能代表在高效燃料电池应用中使用复杂和高能量密度燃料的使能技术。 在第二部分中，我们将采用上述材料的纳米颗粒，并在传统的燃料电池和新的平面无膜微通道燃料电池设计中测试它们作为燃料电池电极，该设计是我们最近开发的，围绕通过使用锥形流动边界建立的层流概念。 无膜微通道燃料电池的发展代表了一个进步，可以作为一个通用的能源平台的智能应用，拟议的工作是为了开发上级电极材料的燃料电池应用通过使用的一般类材料称为“有序金属间化合物”。 最有希望的候选者将使用流动燃料电池作为非常小的颗粒（纳米颗粒）进行测试，这将有助于在更现实的条件下快速筛选材料。数学和物理科学局的打击恐怖主义办法方案支持基础研究和劳动力发展方面的新概念，这些概念有可能促进国家安全。

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.