Improvement of durability towards CO poisoning of fuel cell anode by preferential CO oxidation at metal-oxide interfaces

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25410201
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Energy-related chemistry
• Research Institution: Kobe City College of Technology (2014-2015); Doshisha University (2013)
• Principal Investigator: KUGAI JUNICHIRO 神戸市立工業高等専門学校, その他部局等, 准教授 (80617134)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): SEINO Satoshi 大阪大学, 大学院工学研究科, 准教授 (90432517) ; NAKAGAWA Takashi 大阪大学, 大学院工学研究科, 准教授 (70273589) ; YAMAMOTO Takao 大阪大学, 大学院工学研究科, 教授 (00174798)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: 金属－酸化物界面 / ナノ粒子 / 水素酸化 / 一酸化炭素選択酸化 / 一酸化炭素被毒 / 燃料電池 / 二元系金属触媒

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We have demonstrated that the structure and size of PtCu nanoparticles and the copper oxide content can be controlled by adding a primary alcohol or carboxylate in liquid phase syntheses. These organic compounds work as stabilizers and produce small-size nanoparticles highly dispersed on carbon support through extending the lifetime of metal nuclei. While oxidation of carbon monoxide proceeds at the interface of PtCu and copper oxide, oxidations of methanol and electrode-poisoning CO can only proceed on metal surface. While the methanol oxidation rate strongly depends on the electronic state of platinum (thus chemisorption strength of reactants on the metal surface), the oxidation rate of electrode-poisoning CO rather depends on the arrangement of atoms on the alloy surface. These findings gave a direction for development of the anode catalyst for fuel cells.

Free Research Field

工学