Direct microwave synthesis of palladium-based formic acid fuel cell catalysts

INOR 57

Matthew S. Wellons, matthew.s.wellons@vanderbilt.edu1, Alan Cisar, alan.cisar@lynntech.com2, Eric Heselmeyer2, Bhavesh Patel2, Sandy H. Withers-Kriby2, and Charles M. Lukehart, chuck.lukehart@vanderbilt.edu1. (1) Department of Chemistry, Vanderbilt University, VU Station B 351822, Nashville, TN 37235-1822, (2) Lynntech, Inc, 7610 Eastmark Dr, College Station, TX 77840
Formic acid has been progressively recognized as a potentially superior fuel compared to traditional methanol for particular fuel cell applications. Carbon-supported palladium catalysts have demonstrated high activity as anode catalysts for Direct Formic Acid Fuel Cells (DFAFCs). A novel microwave synthesis strategy for preparing palladium-based/carbon nanocomposites will be presented. Reductive decomposition of appropriate organometallic precursors on Vulcan carbon support using microwave heating affords convenient and rapid formation of carbon-supported nanoparticles containing Pd. The resulting nanocomposites have been characterized using TEM, EDS, and XRD and have been evaluated as DFAFC anode catalysts. Testing results of selected nanocomposites will be presented. Excellent catalytic performance is observed for Pd-based nanoparticles having average diameters of ca. 4.5 nm and a metal/carbon nanocomposite metal loading of ca. 45 wt%.
 

Nanoscience: Synthesis and Characterization
8:30 AM-12:10 PM, Sunday, August 19, 2007 BCEC -- 209, Oral

Division of Inorganic Chemistry

The 234th ACS National Meeting, Boston, MA, August 19-23, 2007