To suppress methanol crossover in direct methanol fuel cells DMFCs , a Nafion-Bi2V0.75Sb0.25O5.4 composite membrane was prepared by recast method. Oxygen-ion conductive Bi2V0.75Sb0.25O5.4 powders were highly dispersed in a Nafion 117 membrane to physically block methanol crossover and/or chemically oxidize the methanol, which was confirmed by the difference in the methanol diffusion coefficient...

The transport properties and the swelling behaviour of NAFION and different sulfonated polyetherketones are explained in terms of distinct differences on the microstructures and in the pKa of the acidic functional groups. The less pronounced hydrophobic/hydrophilic separation of sulfonated polyetherketones compared to NAFION corresponds to narrower, less connected hydrophilic channels and to la...

To improve the contact between platinum catalyst and titanium substrate, a layer of TiO 2 nanotube arrays has been synthesized before depositing Pt nanoflowers by pulse electrodeposition. Dramatic improvements in electrocatalytic activity (3×) and stability (60×) for methanol oxidation were found, suggesting promising applications in direct methanol fuel cells. The 3× and 60× improvements persi...

Carbon capsules with hollow core and mesoporous shell (HCMS) structures were used as a support material for Pt(50)-Ru(50) catalyst, and the catalytic performance of the HCMS supported catalyst in the direct methanol fuel cell was described; the HCMS carbon supported catalysts exhibited much higher specific activity for methanol oxidation than the commonly used E-TEK catalyst by about 80%, provi...

Mobile sources are among the largest contributors of four hazardous air pollutants--benzene, 1,3-butadiene, acetaldehyde, and formaldehyde--in urban areas. At the same time, federal and state governments are promoting the use of alternative fuel vehicles as a means to curb local air pollution. As yet, the impact of this movement toward alternative fuels with respect to toxic emissions has not b...

Transesterification of vegetable oils in supercritical methanol are carried out without using any catalyst. Methyl esters of vegetable oils or biodiesels have several outstanding advantages among other new-renewable and clean engine fuel alternatives and can be used in any diesel engine without modification. The most important variables affecting the methyl ester yield during the transesterific...

Work undertaken by Lotus Engineering and partners has shown that the miscibility of the low-carbon-number alcohols with gasoline provides a powerful tool to enable the introduction of methanol as a transport fuel in a wholly evolutionary manner. This is primarily facilitated by the fact that the CAFÉ regulations in the US (together with other incentives in other countries, such as Sweden) have ...

Direct alcohol fuel cells have been attracting enormous research interest as power sources for vehicles and portable electronic devices because alcohols are readily available, their storage and transport can be easily handled with the existing fuel infrastructure, and they commonly have high mass-specific and volumetric energy densities. Methanol is the most studied fuel for direct alcohol fuel...

Composite membranes composed of highly conductive and selective layer-by-layer (LbL) films and electrospun fiber mats were fabricated and characterized for mechanical strength and electrochemical selectivity. The LbL component consists of a proton-conducting, methanol-blocking poly(diallyl dimethyl ammonium chloride)/sulfonated poly(2,6-dimethyl-1,4-phenylene oxide) (PDAC/sPPO) thin film. The e...