TUNABLE METALLIC FOAMS AS PLATFORMS FOR SYNTHESIZING HIGHLY ACTIVE OXYGEN REDUCTION AND ALCOHOL OXIDATION CATALYSTS

摘要

Metallic foams are materials with unique properties, including high surface area, good electrical and thermal conductivity, and enhanced catalytic activity; making them good candidates as fuel cell catalysts and support for battery electrodes. In this work, copper and bimetallic Cu foams are prepared by chemically etching aluminum rich metal alloys in sodium hydroxide. The metal foams are characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Brunner-Emmet-Teller (BET) surface area analysis, and electrochemical methods to evaluate the performance of the Cu foams and their alloys for the catalysis of oxygen reduction and alcohol oxidation reactions.