Deactivation resistant Pd-ZrO2 supported on multiwall carbon nanotubes catalyst for direct formic acid fuel cells

摘要

One of the main problems of palladium based catalysts for a direct formic acid fuel cell (DFAFC) is their low stability during a long-term operation. In these studies, the Pd-ZrO2 catalyst supported on the multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) was prepared and thermo-chemically treated. These catalysts were tested in a fuel cell for formic acid electrooxidation, and their chemical composition and structure were characterised by the XPS, STEM, HR-TEM and XRD techniques.