Abstract

Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) is being actively investigated as an oxidant for direct borohydride fuel cells. Herein, platinum-rare earth (RE = Sm, Dy, Ho) alloys are prepared by arc melting and their activity for hydrogen peroxide reduction reaction (HPRR) is studied in alkaline media. Cyclic voltammetry and chronoamperometry measurements show that Pt–Sm electrode displays the highest catalytic activity for HPRR with the lowest activation energy, followed by Pt–Ho, while Pt–Dy alloys show practically no activity. Laboratory direct borohydride-peroxide fuel cells (DBPFCs) are assembled using these alloys. The DBPFC with Pt–Sm cathode gives the highest peak power density of 85 mW cm−2, which is more than double of that obtained in a DBPFC with Pt electrodes.

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