17 - Carbon-based nanomaterials for alcohol fuel cells

Abstract

The need for renewable energy is increasing day by day due to the depletion of fossil fuels. One of the most promising options as a renewable energy source is fuel cells. Fuel cells are devices that generate electrical energy using hydrogen and oxygen. Alcohol as fuel is promising for their use in fuel cells, as they provide convenience in transportation, storage and production, and their low cost. Catalysts play an important role in ensuring the best performance of fuel cells. Catalysts used in alcohol fuel cells must be resistant to CO poisoning and have a large surface area. Although the most used catalyst is Pt-based, its high costs and its unstable structure led to the search for alternative catalysts. The use of carbon-based nanomaterials in catalysts to minimize the use of Pt and cost-effective fuels has interested many researchers. Carbon-based nanomaterials are low-cost materials that exhibit many properties with a high surface area. Alcohol-based fuels increase the fuel cell performance of carbon-based nanomaterials used as support in catalytic applications.