Since a direct alcohol fuel cell (DAFC) can be downsized and can operate at room temperature, it is expected as a power source for mobile applications. On the other hand, cost reduction is also expected, because Pt is used in the electrocatalyst. In this study, the use of base metals for Pt was investigated by combined with the 2-propanol fuel that had an advantage compared to methanol in terms of oxidability.
The various base metal catalysts were compared to the Pt catalyst as an anode electrocatalyst in the DAFC performance. The Ni catalyst showed the highest open circuit voltage (V,,c) among the base metal catalysts. The V,,c reflected the hydrogen abstraction activity of the metal species. The Ni catalyst was a match for the Pt catalyst in the V-OC. However, the Ni catalyst could not reach to the Pt catalyst in the cell performance. The relation between the catalyst and the fuel was investigated in both the Ni and the Pt catalyst. The suitable catalytic performance was observed depending on each fuel. The Ni catalyst was suitable for the 2-propanol, while the Pt catalyst was suitable for the methanol fuel. The stripping voltammetry indicated that the DAFC showed better performance as the adsorbate could be removed easily and the easiness depended on the fuel-catalyst combinations.
Considering the catalyst cost and the possibility of the improvement in the catalyst, Ni is the potential candidate for the anode catalyst by combined with the 2-propanol fuel in the DAFC for the mobile applications. (C) 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.