Composite Anode Electrocatalyst for Direct Methanol Fuel Cells

A facile preparation procedure of a composite anode was developed to increase the performance of a direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC). High-surface-area TiO2 nanopowder (280 m(2) g(-1) by BET) was synthesized by a sulfite complex method and added to an 85 % PtRu/C catalyst prepared by the same procedure. A catalytic ink composed of PtRu/C catalyst, TiO2, and Nafion ionomer was deposited on a carbon cloth-based backing layer and used as composite anode in a DMFC. Half-cell and single-cell polarizations as well as adsorbed methanolic residues stripping analyses demonstrated that the addition of TiO2 to the PtRu/C catalyst produced an increase of the electrochemically active surface area and improved the removal of adsorbed CO by supplying active oxygen species. A 20 % increase in power density was obtained for the fuel cell equipped with the composite anode compared to the conventional one.