Ni@Pd core-shell nanostructure supported on multi-walled carbon nanotubes as efficient anode nanocatalysts for direct methanol fuel cells with membrane electrode assembly prepared by catalyst coated membrane method

Mir Ghasem Hosseini, Raana Mahmoodi and Vahid Daneshvari-Esfahlan

Energy, 2018, vol. 161, issue C, 1074-1084

Abstract: Multi-walled carbon nanotubes supported Ni@Pd core-shell nanoparticles (Ni@Pd/MWCNTs) are successfully synthesized by two-step reduction procedure. The Ni@Pd/MWCNTs electrocatalysts are characterized by using field emission scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, high resolution transmission electron microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. According to characterization results, nanoparticles (5–10 nm) are spread on carbon support uniformly with high porosity. Moreover, the electrocatalytic performance of Ni@Pd/CNTs towards methanol electro-oxidation are evaluated using cyclic voltammetry, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, chronoamperometry and chronopotentiometry methods in a conventional three-electrode cell. The results show that Ni@Pd/MWCNTs electrocatalysts have a good catalytic activity towards methanol oxidation in alkaline solutions. The performance of direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) is evaluated in a single fuel cell set-up. The Membrane Electrode Assembly used in fuel cell set-up is prepared by catalyst-coated membrane technique. The catalyst loading is fixed at 0.5 mg Pt/C cm−2 for the cathode and 1.0 mg Ni@Pd/MWCNTs cm−2 for the anode. The used anolyte and catholyte are NaOH + CH3OH and H2SO4 + H2O2, respectively. The results exhibit that the maximum power density is about 67 mW cm−2 at 60 °C. The present paper clearly demonstrates the possibility of Ni@Pd/MWCNTs nanostructure as good performance and less expensive anode catalyst for DMFCs.

Keywords: Direct methanol fuel cell; Methanol oxidation; Ni@Pd/MWCNTs electrocatalysts; Catalyst-coated membrane technique (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

Downloads: (external link)
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0360544218314488
Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:energy:v:161:y:2018:i:c:p:1074-1084

DOI: 10.1016/j.energy.2018.07.148

Access Statistics for this article

Energy is currently edited by Henrik Lund and Mark J. Kaiser

More articles in Energy from Elsevier
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Catherine Liu ().