Performance and durability of Pt-free catalysts at the cathode of Direct Methanol Fuel Cells

The development of energy conversion systems with high efficiency, low cost and stability is vital to meet the challenges derived from global warming due to greenhouse gas emissions from the combustion of conventional systems and to reduce the dependence on fossil fuels. More efficient and novel nanostructured materials, with lower cost than conventional ones, are required in this field to meet the requirements posed by new technologies in terms of performance and durability. The overall objective of the present work is the development of cost-effective nanostructured cathode catalysts, not containing Platinum (Pt-free), for polymer electrolyte fuel cells. Ketjenblack (KB) supported Pd and Pd4Co1 alloy electrocatalysts have been synthesized and characterized in a direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC), fed by different methanol concentrations, to evaluate their performance, tolerance to methanol permeated through the polymer electrolyte membrane and durability.