Planar micro-direct methanol fuel cell prototyped by rapid powder blasting

• Published in: Microelectronic engineering 2011-08, Vol.88 (8), p.1884-1886
• Main Authors: Shen, M., Walter, S., Dovat, L., Gijs, M.A.M.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Applied fluid mechanics; Applied sciences; Blasting; Channels; Cross-disciplinary physics: materials science; rheology; Direct methanol fuel cell; Exact sciences and technology; Fluid dynamics; Fluidics; Fuel cells; Fundamental areas of phenomenology (including applications); Materials science; Materials synthesis; materials processing; Membranes; Metals. Metallurgy; Methods of deposition of films and coatings; film growth and epitaxy; Methyl alcohol; Microchannel; Microchannels; Nafion; Oxidants; Physics; Platinum; Powder blasting; Production techniques; Spray coating techniques; Surface treatment
• ISSN: 0167-9317; 1873-5568
• DOI: 10.1016/j.mee.2010.12.079

We present a planar micro-direct methanol fuel cell (μ-DMFC) fabricated by rapid prototyping-powder blasting technology. Using an elastomeric mask, we pattern two parallel microfluidic channels in glass. The anode and cathode of the fuel cell are formed by wet spraying Pt–Ru/C and Pt/C catalysts, respectively, onto Au electrodes that are evaporated in the microchannels. Simply clamping a Nafion 117 proton exchange membrane (PEM) using a glass substrate covered with PDMS membrane onto the microchannels completes the fuel cell fabrication. Our μ-DMFC generates a voltage of 0.45V and can deliver a power up to 0.5mW/cm2 by using 1M CH3OH in 0.5M H2SO4 solution as fuel in the anodic channel, and 0.01M H2O2 in 0.5M H2SO4 as oxidant solution in the cathodic channel.