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A carbon-supported copper complex of 3,5-diamino-1,2,4-triazole as a cathode catalyst for alkaline fuel cell
Fikile R Brushett1, Matthew S Thorum, Nicholas S Lioutas
1Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering , University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 600 South Mathews Avenue, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA.
Abstract:
The performance of a novel carbon-supported copper complex of 3,5-diamino-1,2,4-triazole (Cu-tri/C) is investigated as a cathode material using an alkaline microfluidic H(2)/O(2) fuel cell. The absolute Cu-tri/C cathode performance is comparable to that of a Pt/C cathode. Furthermore, at a commercially relevant potential, the measured mass activity of an unoptimized Cu-tri/C-based cathode was significantly greater than that of similar Pt/C- and Ag/C-based cathodes. Accelerated cathode durability studies suggested multiple degradation regimes at various time scales. Further enhancements in performance and durability may be realized by optimizing catalyst and electrode preparation procedures.
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