Cathode electrocatalyst selection and deposition for a direct borohydride/hydrogen peroxide fuel cell

Abstract Catalyst selection, deposition method and substrate material selection are essential aspects for the design of efficient electrodes for fuel cells. Research is described to identify a potential catalyst for hydrogen peroxide reduction, an effective catalyst deposition method, and supporting material for a direct borohydride/hydrogen peroxide fuel cell. Several conclusions are reached. Using Pourbaix diagrams to guide experimental testing, gold is identified as an effective catalyst which minimizes gas evolution of hydrogen peroxide while providing high power density. Activated carbon cloth which features high surface area and high microporosity is found to be well suited for the supporting material for catalyst deposition. Electrodeposition and plasma sputtering deposition methods are compared to conventional techniques for depositing gold on diffusion layers. Both methods provide much higher power densities than the conventional method. The sputtering method however allows a much lower catalyst loading and well-dispersed deposits of nanoscale particles. Using these techniques, a peak power density of 680 mW cm−2 is achieved at 60 °C with a direct borohydride/hydrogen peroxide fuel cell which employs palladium as the anode catalyst and gold as the cathode catalyst.