Application of platinum-cobalt-boron as the anode material for sodium borohydride-hydrogen peroxide fuel cells

Abstract

The electroless deposition and galvanic displacement methods were used for the fabrication of cobalt–boron (CoB) catalysts modified with small amounts of platinum crystallites in the range of 9.8 to 14.4 μgPt cm^–2. The prepared catalysts were studied as the anode materials for direct borohydride–hydrogen peroxide (NaBH₄/H₂O₂) fuel cells at temperatures of 25–55°C. Polarization curves have been recorded with the aim to evaluate the fuel cell performance using the prepared CoB and that modified with Pt crystallites as the anode catalysts. For all catalysts (pure CoB and PtCoB) investigated, the peak power density values increase consecutively with the increment in temperature from 25°C up to 55°C. The values from 86–146 mV cm^–2 and 146–234 mV cm^–2 were determined for pure CoB and PtCoB catalysts, respectively. The highest specific peak power density of 21.5 kWg_Pt^–1 was achieved at 55°C temperature when the PtCoB catalyst with the Pt loading of 9.8 μgPtcm^–2 was employed as the anode catalyst in the NaBH₄/H₂O₂ single fuel cell.