Ethanol/Formic Acid Blend As an Alternative Fuel for the Pd-Based Direct Formic Acid Fuel Cells

Abstract

Sustainable energy production is necessary for the next generation. Therefore, it is important to develop/improve a new series of energy technologies that are clean and efficient. A major interest is given to low-temperature fuel cells as an energy conversion device for different applications such as portable devices and electric vehicles. Formic acid is being analyzed and considered to be one of the most promising fuels that could replace methanol in direct liquid fuel cells for portable power applications. The electro-oxidation of formic acid takes place through a dual reaction pathway, dehydrogenation (direct pathway) and dehydration (indirect pathway). In the indirect pathway, a strongly adsorbed CO is produced which blocks the surface, while in the direct pathway CO2 is directly produced. As the direct pathway requires fewer surface atoms than the indirect pathway,1 one of the strategies to enhance the catalytic activity and stability of the catalyst is to modify its surface with ad-atmos2 or adsorbed species, making the direct pathway more favorable (third body or ensemble effect).3