Chapters authored
Investigation of Synthesis Methods for Improved Platinum-Ruthenium Nanoparticles Supported on Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotube Electrocatalysts for Direct Methanol Fuel Cells
This book chapter reports on various catalyst synthesis methods (impregnation, polyol, modified polyol, and microwave-assisted modified polyol methods) to determine which method would result in the most electrochemically active platinum-ruthenium (PtRu) electrocatalyst supported on multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) for methanol oxidation reaction in an acidic medium. Different techniques were used to characterize the synthesized catalysts, including the high-resolution transmission electron microscope used for morphology and calculating particle sizes, and X-ray diffraction for determining crystalline sizes. The electroactive catalyst surface area, ECSA of the electrocatalysts was determined using cyclic voltammetry (CV), while the electroactivity, electron kinetics, and stability of the electrocatalysts towards methanol oxidation were evaluated using CV, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, and chronoamperometry, respectively. The microwave-assisted modified polyol method produced the PtRu/MWCNT electrocatalyst with the most enhanced electrocatalytic activity compared to other PtRu/MWCNT catalysts produced by the impregnation, polyol, and modified polyol methods.
Part of the book: Electrocatalysis and Electrocatalysts for a Cleaner Environment
Preparation and Characterization of Pd Nanoparticles Supported on Graphene-Based Anode Catalysts for Direct Methanol Fuel Cells
Palladium (Pd) nanoparticles supported by graphene nanomaterials were prepared and tested in this work using methanol as the fuel. The synthesized nanoparticles were used as electrocatalysts for direct methanol fuel cell. The support materials were synthesized by modified Hummer’s method and subsequently doped with nitrogen using melamine. The electrocatalysts were synthesized using modified polyol method. The synthesis method of the electrocatalyst was further modified by adjusting the pH of the electrocatalyst from 12 to 13. The structural characterization of the support materials was carried out using Fourier Transform Infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) technique while that of the electrocatalysts was also done using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM). The elemental analysis was carried out using energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) to validated the presence of N-doped in Nitrogen-doped graphene oxide (NGO) and NrGO support materials and the Pd loading. The electroactivity, electron kinetics and stability of the electrocatalyst towards methanol oxidation were evaluated using cyclic voltammetry (CV), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and chronoamperometry (CA) respectively. The results showed that the modification of electrocatalyst by increasing the pH to 13 did not improve the activity of the electrocatalyst generally since the supported Pd catalysts synthesized by modified polyol method exhibited better electroactivity towards methanol oxidation than their pH 13 counterparts.
Part of the book: Methanol Fuel in Transportation Sector and Fuel Cells