Nanoparticulate mixed metal oxides as electrode materials for Alkaline Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cells (APEMFCs)

近年来，随着人们意识到世界能源资源面临的巨大压力，人们对燃料电池的兴趣急剧增加。这一点，加上对需要减少温室气体排放的环境问题的关注，非常重视发展高效和环境友好的能源系统，如燃料电池。低温燃料电池通常以聚合物膜作为电解液，传统上在酸性膜领域的研究往往占据燃料电池文献的主导地位。最近，萨里大学在开发高导电性碱性聚合物电解质膜方面的国际开创性研究引起了全世界对碱性聚合物电解质膜燃料电池(APEMFC)的兴趣。使用碱性膜而不是传统的酸性膜具有许多显著的优点。特别是，这种碱性膜有可能用更便宜的替代品取代传统上与酸性膜一起使用的昂贵的贵金属(例如铂)催化剂。本研究的目的是研究一种这样的替代方法，即纳米颗粒混合金属氧化物作为APEMFC电极材料的潜力。该项目将涉及两条互补的线索。在第一条线索中，将加入混合金属氧化物，以期减少所需的贵金属催化剂的水平，而第二条更具冒险精神的线索将涉及完全取代贵金属。这两种策略都为这些燃料电池系统的成本提供了突破性的降低前景。

Interest in fuel cells has dramatically increased in recent years with the realisation of the tremendous strain developing on world energy resources. This, coupled with environmental concerns regarding the need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, places great emphasis on the development of efficient and environmentally friendly energy systems, such as fuel cells. Low temperature fuel cells typically have a polymer membrane as the electrolyte, and traditionally research in the area of acidic membranes has tended to dominate the fuel cell literature. More recently internationally pioneering research at the University of Surrey into the development of highly conducting alkaline polymer electrolyte membranes has led to world-wide interest in alkaline polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (APEMFCs). The use of alkaline membranes rather than traditional acidic membranes confers a number of significant advantages. In particular, such alkaline membranes offer the potential for replacing expensive precious metal (e.g. platinum) catalysts conventionally used with acidic membranes, with cheaper alternatives. The aim of this study is to investigate one such alternative, namely the potential of nanoparticulate mixed metal oxides as electrode materials for APEMFCs. The project will involve two complementary strands. In the first strand, the incorporation of the mixed metal oxides will be made with a view to reducing the level of precious metal catalysts needed, while the second more adventurous strand will involve the complete replacement of the precious metals. Both strategies offer the prospect for breakthrough reduction in the costs of these fuel cell systems.