Development of novel mesoporous Pd based electrocatalysts for methanol tolerant oxygen reduction

该项目是由伦敦帝国理工学院Anthony Kucernak教授和中国科学院上海微系统与信息技术研究所能源科学与技术实验室杨辉教授共同提交的，作为“与中国合作研究太阳能电池、太阳能燃料和燃料电池”项目的一部分。直接甲醇燃料电池（dmfc）是一类以甲醇为燃料的燃料电池。甲醇是一种普遍存在的高能量密度燃料，可以从生物源中生产。它比氢更容易运输和储存，而且dmfc的能量密度比锂离子电池系统高得多。dmfc的一个问题是，甲醇会从燃料电极（阳极）交叉到空气电极（阴极）。交叉是不好的，因为用于阴极的常见催化剂受到甲醇的影响，导致DMFC输出功率下降。我们在这个提议中的方法是开发新的阴极催化剂，它不会受到甲醇失活问题的影响，因此可以产生比现有催化剂更高的功率输出。同时，新的催化剂将更便宜，并且随着时间的推移表现出更大的稳定性。我们的方法依赖于观察到钯（成本低于铂的1/3 -目前首选的催化剂）在甲醇氧化中非常差。我们已经初步研制出由钯合金组成的阴极催化剂，它在甲醇存在下催化氧还原的效果比单独使用铂要好得多。在这个阶段，我们的研究非常接近于实现具有真正商业可能性的催化剂的生产，但我们需要测试一些效果，以优化催化剂的性能，并找到最佳的组成和结构。这些影响包括：a)催化剂的最佳组成b)催化剂载体的最佳组成c)催化剂和载体的最佳结构（形态）在这个项目中，我们将研究这些影响中的每一个，并为DMFC阴极开发一种优化的催化剂。这项工作将持续三年，我们将在每个阶段研究将我们的催化剂商业化的可能性。这项工作将在上海微系统与信息技术研究所（SIMIT）和伦敦帝国理工学院（IMP）进行。工作计划的结构取决于两位申请人的优势，他们有互补的科学方法。杨辉教授（SIMIT）在DMFC钯催化剂的生产和无源DMFC系统的测试方面拥有丰富的研究经验。Anthony Kucernak教授（IMP）在介孔催化剂的合成和了解这些系统的性能所必需的原位电化学测量的发展方面具有丰富的经验。这两家申请机构都不能考虑单独承担这个项目，因此，这个方案将是交流技术和方法的一个有用的论坛。这个项目的核心是两个机构之间的人员交流，以促进思想的交叉融合，并使工人接触到不同的环境和氛围。这项研究将被广泛传播，不仅将使更高效的能源系统成为可能，而且将回答关于电极过程本质的基本问题。国际合作将涉及博士后学者，并将促进有意义的中英交流。

The project is being submitted as part of the Collaborative Research with China on Solar Cells, Solar Fuels and Fuel Cells and is being submitted by Prof. Anthony Kucernak, Imperial College London, and Prof.Hui Yang, Energy Science and Technology Laboratory, Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and Information Technology (Chinese Academy of Sciences).Direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs) are a class of fuel cells which use methanol as a fuel. Methanol is a ubiquitous, high energy density fuel which can be produced from biogenic sources. It is easier to transport and store than hydrogen, and DMFCs can be produced with much higher energy densities than lithium-ion battery systems. One issue with DMFCs is that they suffer from crossover of methanol from the fuel electrode (anode) to the air electrode (cathode). The crossover is bad because the common catalysts used for the cathode are affected by methanol leading to a decrease in the power output of the DMFC. Our approach in this proposal is to develop new cathode catalysts which do not suffer from the methanol deactivation problem and so can produce higher power outputs than current catalysts. At the same time, the new catalysts will be less expensive and show greater stability over time.Our approach relies on the observation that palladium (<1/3 cost of platinum - the current preferred catalyst) is very poor at methanol oxidation. We have produced preliminary cathode catalysts composed of palladium alloys which are able to catalyse oxygen reduction in the presence of methanol much better than platinum alone. At this stage our research is tantalising close to realising the production of catalysts with real commercial possibility, but we need to test a number of effects in order to optimise the performance of catalysts and find the optimum composition and structure. These effects include:a) The optimum composition of the catalystb) The optimum composition of the catalyst supportc) The optimum structure (morphology) of the catalyst and supportWithin this project we will examine each of these effects and develop an optimised catalyst for the cathode of the DMFC. The work will occur over the course of three years and we will at every stage examine the possibility fo commercialising out catalysts. The work will be performed at Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and Information Technology (SIMIT), and Imperial College London(IMP). The work program is structured to rest on the strengths of the two applicants who have complimentary scientific approaches. Prof. Hui Yang (SIMIT) has extensive research experience in the production of Pd catalysts for DMFCs and the testing of passive DMFC systems. Prof Anthony Kucernak (IMP) has experience in the synthesis of mesoporous catalysts and the development of in situ electrochemical measurements necessary to understand the performance of these systems. Neither of the two applicants could consider undertaking this project alone, and as such this programme will be a useful forum for the exchange of techniques and methods. Central to this programme is the exchange of people between the two establishments to facilitate a cross-fertilisation of ideas and expose the workers to different environments and atmospheres.The research, to be disseminated broadly, will enable not only more efficient energy systems but will answer fundamental questions on the nature of electrode processes. The international collaboration will involve postdoctoral scholars and will facilitate meaningful UK/China exchanges.