Evaluation of colloidal Ag and Ag-alloys as anode electrocatalysts for direct borohydride fuel cells

Abstract

In this study, colloidal silver and silver-alloys (Ag–Pt, Ag–Au, Ag–Ir, and Ag–Pd) prepared by the Bönneman technique were evaluated as anode catalysts for sodium borohydride oxidation using cyclic voltammetry (CV), chronoamperometry (CA), chronopotentiometry (CP) and rotating disk electrode (RDE) voltammetry. The CV results show that the colloidal Ag-alloys were electrochemically active towards borohydride oxidation with oxidation potentials ranging between - 0.7 and 0.4 V vs. Hg / HgO (MOE). The most negative oxidation potential was recorded on Ag–Pt. CA results show that the steady state current density was highest on Ag–Pt, followed by Ag–Ir, Ag–Au, and Ag–Pd. The lowest overpotential was recorded on Ag–Ir for a current step change of 10 mA cm - 2 . A significant temperature effect and a small rotation speed effect were found in the rotating disc voltammetry for all the investigated colloids. The highest peak current was recorded on Ag–Au, while the most negative peak potential was recorded on Ag–Ir.