The effect of ethanol concentration on the direct ethanol fuel cell performance and products distribution: A study using a single fuel cell/attenuated total reflectance – Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy

• Published in: Journal of power sources 2014-05, Vol.253, p.392-396
• Main Authors: Assumpção, M.H.M.T., Nandenha, J., Buzzo, G.S., Silva, J.C.M., Spinacé, E.V., Neto, A.O., De Souza, R.F.B.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Acetaldehyde; Acetic acid; Applied sciences; Catalysis; Catalysts: preparations and properties; Chemistry; DEFC; DEFC/ATR-FTIR; Direct energy conversion and energy accumulation; Electrical engineering. Electrical power engineering; Electrical power engineering; Electrochemical conversion: primary and secondary batteries, fuel cells; Energy; Energy. Thermal use of fuels; Equipments for energy generation and conversion: thermal, electrical, mechanical energy, etc; Ethanol; Ethanol concentration; Ethyl alcohol; Exact sciences and technology; Fourier transforms; Fuel cells; General and physical chemistry; Infrared spectroscopy; PtSn/C; Spectra; Theory of reactions, general kinetics. Catalysis. Nomenclature, chemical documentation, computer chemistry
• ISSN: 0378-7753; 1873-2755
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jpowsour.2013.12.088

The effect of ethanol concentration on the direct ethanol fuel cell (DEFC) performance and products distribution were studied in situ using a single fuel cell/ATR-FTIR setup. The experiments were performed at 80 °C using commercial Pt3Sn/C as anodic catalyst and the concentrations of ethanol solution were varied from 0.1 to 2.0 mol L−1. An increase in power density was observed with the increase of ethanol concentration to 1.0 mol L−1, while the band intensities analysis in the FTIR spectra revealed an increase of acetic acid/acetaldehyde ratio with the increase of ethanol concentration. Also, from FTIR spectra results, it could be concluded that the acetic acid production follow parallel mechanisms; that is, it does not require the presence of acetaldehyde as an intermediate. •The power density increases with the ethanol concentration until 1 mol L−1.•The maximum power density is a result of acetic acid production using Pt3Sn1/C.•The 2 mol L−1 ethanol solution showed small power density due to the crossover.