Multifunctional catalysts toward methanol oxidation in direct methanol fuel cell.

In the current study, a nanoscale perovskite SrFeO (SrFNPs) was synthesized by a rapid microwave-assisted co-precipitation method and characterized by X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, Energy dispersive X-ray, and vibrating sample magnetometer techniques. Modified glassy carbon electrode with Pt nanoparticles (PtNPs), functionalized carbon nanotubes (CNTs), and SrFNPs as multifunctional catalyst is prepared and its catalytic activity toward methanol oxidation is investigated. Based on the electrochemical studies, a PtNPs-CNTs-SrFNPs nanocomposite was shown a considerable activity for methanol oxidation in comparison of PtNPs, PtNPs-CNTs, and PtNPs-SrFNPs. A direct methanol fuel cell was designed, assembled, and tested with suggested PtNPs-CNTs-SrFNPs nanocomposites under several different conditions. The effect of some experimental factors such as temperature, methanol concentration, and flow rate as well as NaOH concentration on electrical performances of fuel cell were studied and optimized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]