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Project Title: Oxide ion and proton co-ion conducting membranes for direct methanol and reformate fuel cells
Principle Investigator(s): Chunsheng Wang (Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering)
Abstract: Slow methanol oxidation kinetics due to poisoning of platinum catalysts by CO inhibits commercialization direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs) and reformate fuel cells (RFCs). This research addresses this issue by directly oxidizing CO or methanol at the anode side of a fuel cell using an oxide ion, which is generated at the cathode and transported through a oxide ion/proton co-ion conducting A1-xBxP2O7 (A = Sn, Ti, Zr, B = In, Al, Y, Sc) membrane. The mechanism of co-ion conduction and CO and methanol oxidation by oxide ions will be assessed through systematic study of its structure and electrochemical performance. Different from prior work on mixed proton/oxide ion conducting perovskite oxides (such as La0.9Sr0.1Ga0.8Mg0.2O3-α), for which the fast proton conduction at a lower temperature enables a lower SOFC operation temperature (below 800oC), introducing oxide ion transport in a proton conducting ceramic at 150-250oC is to oxidize CO and methanol in an DMFC and RFC. The low-temperature co-ion conducting membranes can also been used for gas separations, electrolysis cells and sensors. The co-ion fuel cells operating at 150-250oC are a new generation of fuel cells, which will combine the advantages of both solid oxide fuel cells and proton exchange membrane fuel cells.
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