Outstanding performance of direct urea/hydrogen peroxide fuel cell based on precious metal-free catalyst electrodes

Tasnim Eisa, Sung-Gwan Park, Hend Omar Mohamed, Mohammad Ali Abdelkareem, Jieun Lee, Euntae Yang, Pedro Castaño and Kyu-Jung Chae

Energy, 2021, vol. 228, issue C

Abstract: Direct urea/hydrogen peroxide fuel cells (DUHP-FCs) can produce electrical energy by recycling urea-rich wastewater. This study expands the commerciality of DUHP-FC by removing precious metals from their design. Nickel nanorod/nickel foam (NNR/NF) was fabricated using hydrothermal treatment to be used as the anode, and Prussian blue coating was deposited by potentiostatic electrodeposition onto hydrophilic carbon felt at the cathode (PB/CF). The anode exhibited a 7-folds higher current density than bare NF at 0–2 M urea, and lower charge transfer resistance. The cathode reported a high H2O2 reduction current. In addition, fuel cell tests indicated current density dependency on H2O2 concentration and cell voltage dependency on KCl concentration. A competitive maximum power density of 10.6 mW cm−2 was achieved at 0.98 open circuit voltage and 45 mA cm−2 maximum current density, in 0.33 M urea vs 2 M KCl and 2 M H2O2, exclusively via diffusive mass transfer. These findings indicate the practical application of DUHP-FC on a large scale.

Keywords: Direct urea fuel cell; Urea electro-oxidation; H2O2 reduction; Nickel nanorods; Precious metal free; Prussian blue (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:energy:v:228:y:2021:i:c:s0360544221008331

DOI: 10.1016/j.energy.2021.120584

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