Preparation, characterisation and application of Pd/C nanocatalyst in passive alkaline direct ethanol fuel cells (ADEFC)

This work describes the use of Pd nanocatalyst on Vulcan XC-72 (at a very low loading, 8 wt % Pd) in passive alkaline direct ethanol fuel cell (ADEFC). The average Pd particle size obtained with TEM was 3.5 +/- 0.5 nm. The XRD results of the prepared Pd nanocatalysts showed the dominant fcc structure. The catalytic activity towards ethanol electro-oxidation in various concentrations of KOH was evaluated in the half-cell tests by cyclic voltammetry and chronoamperometry. Improved performance and stability on Pd/C was observed when the [hydroxyl]/[ethanol] = 1. The Pd/C nanocatalyst performance in ADEFC under passive state showed enhanced maximum current and power densities in 5 M KOH. 5 M ethanol showed power density of 7 mW cm(-2) and maximum current density of 33 mA cm(-2) in 1 M KOH. While at higher KOH concentration of 5 M, 5 M ethanol showed improved power density of 17 mW cm(-2) and 90 mA cm(-2) current density as well as stability. Copyright (C) 2015, Hydrogen Energy Publications, LLC. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.