Optimization of the catalytic support and membrane for the electrochemical reforming of ethanol in alkaline media

BACKGROUND: In this work, the influence of the anodic catalyst carbonaceous support and the membrane on the electrochem-ical reforming of ethanol for hydrogen production in alkaline media has been studied. Physicochemical characterization andelectrochemical activity measurements were performed for d...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Calcerrada Martínez, Ana Belén, Osa Puebla, Ana Raquel de la, Romero Izquierdo, Amaya, Valverde, Jose Luis, Consuegra, Antonio de Lucas, Dorado Fernández, Fernando
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Fecha de publicación:2019
País:España
Institución:Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha
Repositorio:RUIdeRA. Repositorio Institucional de la UCLM
OAI Identifier:oai:ruidera.uclm.es:10578/29824
Acceso en línea:http://hdl.handle.net/10578/29824
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Alkaline media
Carbonaceous supports
Electrolysis
Ethanol electro-oxidation
Palladium catalyst
Medios alcalinos
Soportes carbonosos
Electrólisis
Electrooxidación de etanol
Catalizador de paladio
Descripción
Sumario:BACKGROUND: In this work, the influence of the anodic catalyst carbonaceous support and the membrane on the electrochem-ical reforming of ethanol for hydrogen production in alkaline media has been studied. Physicochemical characterization andelectrochemical activity measurements were performed for different palladium-based anodic catalysts. The best anodic catalystwas scaled up to two different membrane electrode assemblies (MEAs) based on anion exchange membranes (AEMs): Tokuyamaand KOH-doped polybenzimidazole (PBI) membranes. In both systems, the influence of the temperature and the stability wereevaluated for the electrochemical reforming of ethanol.RESULTS: Among the different investigated catalysts, palladium supported on non-functionalized low-surface nanofibers wasthe best anodic catalyst for the electrochemical reforming of ethanol in alkaline media, which was attributed to the specificphysicochemical and textural properties of this material. In addition, the use of a Tokuyama membrane allowed to obtainthe highest electrocatalytic activity in hydrogen production together with a suitable stability behavior. Under the optimizedconditions, current density values up to 120 mA cm−2at 1.4 V were obtained, leading to lower energy values for hydrogenproduction compared with those of water electrolysis in commercial alkaline electrolyzers.CONCLUSION: The choice of palladium supported on non-functionalized nanofibers as anodic catalyst and a Tokuyamamembrane allows to obtain the best MEA configuration for the electrochemical reforming of ethanol for hydrogen production.