Modification of the platinum activity for the electro-catalysis of ethanol oxidation in direct ethanol fuel cells

• Grant number: 05/04585-7
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• Start date: September 01, 2006
• End date: March 31, 2008
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Chemistry - Physical-Chemistry
• Principal Investigator: Ernesto Rafael Gonzalez
• Grantee: Fabio Henrique Barros de Lima
• Host Institution: Instituto de Química de São Carlos (IQSC). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Carlos , SP, Brazil

Abstract

This work aims the development of electrocatalysts with core-shell structures for the ethanol oxidation reaction for direct ethanol fuel cells application. Trying the Pt electronic modification and, at the same time, the reduction of its mass, the considered materials will be composed by Pt-monolayer on different substrates formed by transition metal nanoparticles dispersed on carbon. The electrocatalytic activity discussion will be implemented in the present work to elucidate the trends determining the Pt-monolayer behavior on the different nanoparticles with the parallel routes followed by the ethanol oxidation reaction. In each case, the objetive is the determination of the electrochemical reaction mechanism and correlate it with the electronic and structural features of the electrocatalysts. (AU)