Preparation and Evaluation of New Anode Electrode Microstructures Based on Iron-Nickel-Cobalt Nano Catalyst for Direct Fuel Cell 1-Propanol

The electro catalytic oxidation of n-propanol was studied on Pt-free HypermecTM (Fe-Co-Ni) nano catalysts and Pd supported over commercial carbon electrodes in 0.1 M KOH solution at room temperature. Cyclic voltammetry (CV), and chronoamperometry techniques were employed. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was also employed to morphological study of the catalyst layer. Performances of the Pt-free electrode and conventional palladium anode electrode in n-propanol electro oxidation reaction were compared. The Pt-free HypermecTM showed a higher activity toward n-propanol oxidation than the Pd/C (10% wt), in the Cyclic voltammetry measurement. The chronoamperometry results showed clearly that the HypermecTM is a better catalyst for n-propanol oxidation reaction than the Pd/C (10% wt). The maximum current density value obtained for the Pt-free HypermecTM was 63 μA μg-1 metal and for Pd/C (10% wt) was 48 μA μg-1 metal in present the fuel. Therefore, the HypermecTM electro catalyst had a higher catalytic activity than Pd/C (10% wt) electro catalyst. Moreover, n-propanol oxidation reaction on the tow electrode is diffusion-controlled and represents a good linear correlation with propanol concentration. The results indicate that Pt-free HypermecTM (Fe-Co-Ni) nanocatalysts is attractive as a promising electro catalyst of alkali-type direct n-propanol fuel cells.