Influence of the ethanol dehydrogenation by-products in the kinetics of hydrogen oxidation reaction in acid and alkaline electrolytes

• Grant number: 15/09210-3
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate (Direct)
• Start date: July 01, 2015
• End date: February 28, 2019
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Chemistry - Physical-Chemistry
• Principal Investigator: Edson Antonio Ticianelli
• Grantee: Ana Laura Gonçalves Biancolli
• Host Institution: Instituto de Química de São Carlos (IQSC). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Carlos , SP, Brazil
• Associated scholarship(s): 16/13277-9 - Radiation-grafted anion-exchange membrane for alkaline fuel cells, BE.EP.DD

Abstract

The development of methods to produce clean hydrogen and alternative fuels for use in fuel cells has been a big challenge for those looking for sources of clean and renewable electric energy. Recently, a system was developed in our laboratory in which ethanol is dehydrogenated in a reactor coupled to a Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell (PEMFC), so that the hydrogen produced from this reaction is used as fuel. The cell efficiency was 70% of that of a cell fed with pure hydrogen. The reason for this loss of efficiency is not yet clear and this is the focus of the study proposed here. Research on the effect of contamination of PEM cells by various impurities, such as CO, methanol, formic acid, etc., has already been made, but, so far, nothing is found about the influence of the byproducts of the ethanol dehydrogenation reaction (unreacted ethanol, acetaldehyde, ethyl acetate, crotonaldehyde, acetone, butanol and butanone) in this type of cell. Moreover, because of the absence of CO2, the hydrogen produced in such dehydrogenation reactor has a great potential to be used in alkaline fuel cells, making the characterization of the influence of these contaminants in the performance of Alkaline Fuel Cell (AFC) anodes of high relevance. Here, a new research strand is proposed, where the hydrogen will be contaminated by the ethanol dehydrogenation byproducts and their influence on the performance of a PEMFC and an AFC will be investigated for following anode catalysts: Pt/C, Pt-Pd/C, Pt-Sn/C and Pt-W/C. The main goal of the investigation is to get understandings of how these impurities affect the performance of the anode and, after that, to propose new catalysts and/or systems to minimize their effects. (AU)

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

GONCALVES BIANCOLLI, ANA LAURA; HERRANZ, DANIEL; WANG, LIANQIN; STEHLIKOVA, GABRIELA; BANCE-SOUALHI, RACHIDA; PONCE-GONZALEZ, JULIA; OCON, PILAR; TICIANELLI, EDSON A.; WHELLIGAN, DANIEL K.; VARCOE, JOHN R.; et al. ETFE-based anion-exchange membrane ionomer powders for alkaline membrane fuel cells: a first performance comparison of head-group chemistry. JOURNAL OF MATERIALS CHEMISTRY A, v. 6, n. 47, p. 24330-24341, DEC 21 2018. (14/09087-4, 15/09210-3, 15/23621-6, 14/50279-4, 16/13277-9)

BIANCOLLI, ANA LAURA G.; LOPES, THIAGO; PAGANIN, VALDECIR A.; TICIANELLI, EDSON A.. PEM fuel cells fed by hydrogen from ethanol dehydrogenation reaction: Unveiling the poisoning mechanisms of the by-products. Electrochimica Acta, v. 355, SEP 20 2020. (16/13277-9, 14/22130-6, 15/09210-3, 13/16930-7, 17/15304-6)

Academic Publications

(References retrieved automatically from State of São Paulo Research Institutions)

BIANCOLLI, Ana Laura Gonçalves. Influence of the contaminants of the hydrogen produced from ethanol dehydrogenation on the performance of proton or anion exchange membrane fuel cells. 2019. Doctoral Thesis - Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Instituto de Química de São Carlos (IQSC/BT) São Carlos.