Components for PEM fuel cells: An overview

Fuel cells, as devices for direct conversion of the chemical energy of a fuel into electricity by electrochemical reactions, are among the key enabling technologies for the transition to a hydrogen-based economy. Among the various types of fuel cells, polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) are considered to be at the forefront for commercialization for portable and transportation applications because of their high energy conversion efficiency and low pollutant emission. Cost and durability of PEMFCs are the two major challenges that need to be addressed to facilitate their commercialization. The properties of the membrane electrode assembly (MEA) have a direct impact on both cost and durability of a PEMFC. An overview is presented on the key components of the PEMFC MEA. The success of the MEA and thereby PEMFC technology is believed to depend largely on two key materials: the membrane and the electro-catalyst. These two key materials are directly linked to the major challenges faced in PEMFC, namely, the performance, and cost. Concerted efforts are conducted globally for the past couple of decades to address these challenges. This chapter aims to provide the reader an overview of the major research findings to date on the key components of a PEMFC MEA

Synthesis, characterisation and evaluation of IrO2 based binary metal oxide electrocatalysts for oxygen evolution reaction

IrO2, IrxRu1-xO2, IrxSnx-1O2 and IrxTax-1O2 (1 ≥ x ≥ 0.7) were synthesized, characterised and evaluated as electrocatalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction in solid polymer electrolyte electrolysers. The electrocatalysts were synthesised by adapting the Adams fusion method. The physical properties of the electrocatalysts were characterised by scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and x-ray diffraction. Electrochemical activity of the electrocatalysts toward the oxygen evolution reaction was evaluated by cyclic voltammetry and chronoamperometry. X-ray diffraction revealed no phase separation when RuO2 or SnO2 was introduced into the IrO2 lattice suggesting that solid solutions were formed. Transmission electron microscope analysis revealed nanosize particles for all synthesised metal oxides. Crystallinity increased with the addition of RuO2 and SnO2 while a suppression of crystal growth was observed with the addition of Ta2O5 to IrO2. Chronoamperometry revealed that the addition of all the secondary metal oxides to IrO2 resulted in improved catalytic performance. Ir0.7Ru0.3O2 was identified as the most promising electrocatalyst for the oxygen evolution reaction. Keywords:Web of Scienc

Double layer energy storage in graphene - a study

An alternate energy storage device for high power applications are supercapacitors. They store energy either by pure electrostatic charge accumulation in the electrochemical double layer or as pseudo capacitance from fast reversible oxidation reduction process. However, they have low energy density. The electrodes in the Electrochemical Double Layer Capacitors (EDLC) are made of high surface area carbon. The carbon that can be used range from activated carbon to Graphene, with varying particle size, surface area, pore size and pore distribution. The main emphasis in the development of EDLCs is fabrication of electrodes having high surface area which would enhance the storage density of the EDLC. The EDLCs are assembled with different electrolytes which determine the operational voltage. Solid electrolytes can also be used as electrolyte and have an advantage in that we can avoid electrolyte leaks and are easy to handle. This would improve the reliability. They can also be shaped and sized to suit the application. The perflurosulfonic acid polymer as electrolyte has been used by various groups for EDLC application. The perflurosulfonic acid polymer possesses high ionic conductivity, good thermal stability, adequate mechanical strength and excellent chemical stability. The EDLCs, which are based on high-surface area carbon materials, utilize the capacitance arising from a purely non-Faradaic charge separation at an electrode/electrolyte interface. Carbon is widely used for many practical applications, especially for the adsorption of ions and molecules, as catalyst supports and electrode materials. The chemical characteristics of carbon determine the performance in all these applications. It is now possible to synthesize one-, two-, or three-dimensional (1-, 2-, or 3-D) carbons. Thus, carbon materials are very suitable candidates for super capacitor electrodes. We can overcome some of the problems in activated carbon like varying micro or meso pores, poor ion mobility due to varying pore distribution, low electrical conductivity, by using Graphene. Many forms of Graphene have been used by various groups. Graphene nanoplates (GNP), with narrow mesopore distribution have been effectively used to enhance charge storage performance. It has been found that graphene shows smaller decrease in storage capacity with increasing scan rate

Review on recent progress in nitrogen-doped graphene : synthesis, characterization, and its potential applications

Nitrogen doping has been an effective way to tailor the properties of graphene and render its potential use for various applications. Three common bonding configurations are normally obtained when doping nitrogen into the graphene: pyridinic N, pyrrolic N, and graphitic N. This paper reviews nitrogen-doped graphene, including various synthesis methods to introduce N doping and various characterization techniques for the examination of various N bonding configurations. Potential applications of N-graphene are also reviewed on the basis of experimental and theoretical studies

Phosphorus Doped MoS2 Nanosheet Promoted with Nitrogen, Sulfur Dual Doped Reduced Graphene Oxide as an Effective Electrocatalyst for Hydrogen Evolution Reaction

Highly efficient, cost-effective, and stable non-noble metal electrocatalysts are desirable for cathodic hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Herein, crystal defects were created in MoS2 with the substitution of P dopants in order to catalyze HER effectively. Performance of MoS2 in electrocatalytic HER is poor in terms of high onset potential and overpotential due to poor intrinsic conductivity. The issue regarding conductivity and reducing onset potential as well as overpotential can be addressed by low electronegative element P substitution into the S sites of MoS2 and incorporating additionally dual heteroatom atom (nitrogen, sulfur) doped reduced graphene oxide (rGO). Synergistic effect of phosphorus doping into the S sites of MoS2 along with N,S-rGO greatly enhances the HER which is comparable to Pt/C with Tafel of 47 mV dec-1 and low overpotential of 105 mV at 20 mA cm-2. Copyright © 2019 American Chemical Society.1

Nanostructured conducting polymers for energy applications: towards a sustainable platform

Recently, there has been tremendous progress in the field of nanodimensional conducting polymers with the objective of tuning the intrinsic properties of the polymer and the potential to be efficient, biocompatible, inexpensive, and solution processable. Compared with bulk conducting polymers, conducting polymer nanostructures possess a high electrical conductivity, large surface area, short path length for ion transport and superior electrochemical activity which make them suitable for energy storage and conversion applications. The current status of polymer nanostructure fabrication and characterization is reviewed in detail. The present review includes syntheses, a deeper understanding of the principles underlying the electronic behavior of size and shape tunable polymer nanostructures, characterization tools and analysis of composites. Finally, a detailed discussion of their effectiveness and perspectives in energy storage and solar light harvesting is presented. In brief, a broad overview on the synthesis and possible applications of conducting polymer nanostructures in energy domains such as fuel cells, photocatalysis, supercapacitors and rechargeable batteries is described

Enhanced Electrocatalytic Activity of Cobalt-Doped Ceria Embedded on Nitrogen, Sulfur-Doped Reduced Graphene Oxide as an Electrocatalyst for Oxygen Reduction Reaction

N, S-doped rGO was successfully synthesized and embedded Co-doped CeO2 via hydrothermal synthesis. The crystal structure, surface morphology and elemental composition of the prepared catalyst were studied by XRD, Raman spectra, SEM, TEM and XPS analyses. The synthesized electrocatalyst exhibits high onset and halfwave potential during the ORR. This result shows that a combination of N- and S-doped rGO and Co-doped CeO2 leads to a synergistic effect in catalyzing the ORR in alkaline media. Co–CeO2/N, S–rGO displays enhanced ORR performance compared to bare CeO2. The superior stability of the prepared catalyst implies its potential applications beyond fuel cells and metal–air batteries

Enhanced Electrocatalytic Activity of Cobalt-Doped Ceria Embedded on Nitrogen, Sulfur-Doped Reduced Graphene Oxide as an Electrocatalyst for Oxygen Reduction Reaction

N, S-doped rGO was successfully synthesized and embedded Co-doped CeO2 via hydrothermal synthesis. The crystal structure, surface morphology and elemental composition of the prepared catalyst were studied by XRD, Raman spectra, SEM, TEM and XPS analyses. The synthesized electrocatalyst exhibits high onset and halfwave potential during the ORR. This result shows that a combination of N- and S-doped rGO and Co-doped CeO2 leads to a synergistic effect in catalyzing the ORR in alkaline media. Co–CeO2/N, S–rGO displays enhanced ORR performance compared to bare CeO2. The superior stability of the prepared catalyst implies its potential applications beyond fuel cells and metal–air batteries

A low cost adsorbent prepared from Curcuma angustifolia scales for removal of Basic violet 14 from aqueous solution

The adsorption characteristics of a low cost adsorbent prepared from Curcuma angustifolia scales (CA) for the removal of Basic Violet 14 from aqueous solution has been investigated. The experimental data have been analyzed by Langmuir, Freundlich and Temkin isotherm models. The results show that the adsorption isotherm is best defined by the Langmuir isotherm model and the adsorption capacity is found to be 208.33 mg/g for the prepared low cost adsorbent. The adsorption capacity of the prepared low cost adsorbent is superior compared with that of the adsorption capacity of calgon carbon. The kinetic data result at different concentrations have been analysed using pseudo first-order and pseudo-second order model. Boyd plot indicate that the adsorption of dye onto the low cost adsorbent and calgon carbon is controlled by film diffusion. Thermodynamic analysis indicate that the adsorption process is endothermic in nature. The adsorbent is characterized by Fourier transformation infrared spectrometry (FTIR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The material used in this study is an agricultural waste product, economical to use as an alternative to costlier adsorbents and can be an attractive option for dye removal in wastewater treatment processes in industries