Direct alcohol fuel cells as chemical reactors for the sustainable production of energy and chemicals
Energy and chemicals from renewables by electrocatalysis
VALENTINA BAMBAGIONI, MANUELA BEVILACQUA, JONATHAN FILIPPI, ANDREA MARCHIONNI, SIMONETTA MONETI, FRANCESCO VIZZA, CLAUDIO BIANCHINI*
* Corresponding author
Institute of Chemistry of Organometallic Compounds
ICCOM-CNR, Polo Scientifico Area CNR, Via Madonna del Piano 10, Sesto Fiorentino, 50019, Italy
Abstract
The selective production ofchemicals from biomasses withcontemporaneous release of energy can be accomplished fora variety of renewable alcohols by means of direct fuel cells inalkaline environment. In such devices, an anodeelectrocatalyst based on nanosized Pd particles, alone orpromoted by Ni-Zn phases, promotes the partial oxidation ofthe alcohol to the corresponding carboxylate. The directalcohol fuel cells described in this report are able to providepower densities up to 60 mW cm-2 at room temperature andup to 160 mW cm-2 at 80°C.
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