Direct borohydride/peroxide fuel cells using Prussian Blue cathodes

D. M. F. Santos, P. G. Saturnino, R. F. M. Lobo, C. A. C. Sequeira

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

61 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Direct borohydride fuel cells (DBFCs) are receiving much attention during the last decade. Many researchers are now focused on DBFCs operating on sodium borohydride (NaBH 4) as the fuel and hydrogen peroxide (H 2O 2) as the oxidant. In the present work, direct NaBH 4/H 2O 2 fuel cells consisting of platinum (Pt) anodes, a Prussian Blue (PB)-coated Pt or a Pt cathode, and a Nafion N117 membrane as the separator, are assembled. The effect of different operational conditions, namely the fuel (NaBH 4 + NaOH) and oxidant (H 2O 2 + HCl) compositions, as well as the operation temperature, on the performance of these DBFCs is investigated. The obtained results are evaluated and the most suitable conditions for the operation of these NaBH 4/H 2O 2 systems are proposed. The use of the PB-coated electrode can lead to up to a 50% increase in the peak power density, as compared to the cell using a single Pt cathode. At 65 °C, the DBFC using the PB-modified electrode attained over 200 mW cm -2, at a cell voltage of 0.8 V.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)131-137
Number of pages7
JournalJournal Of Power Sources
Volume208
Issue numberNA
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 15 Jun 2012

Keywords

  • Direct borohydride fuel cell
  • Sodium borohydride electrooxidation
  • Hydrogen peroxide electroreduction
  • Prussian Blue catalyst

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Direct borohydride/peroxide fuel cells using Prussian Blue cathodes'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this