Improved Performance of Direct Methanol Fuel Cells by Anodic Treatment

摘要

Anodic treatment of direct methanol fuel cell single cells was carried out at anode potentials of 0.1, 0.4, 0.7, and 1.0 V. An increase in maximum power density by 48 percent was achieved after anodic treatment at 0.7 V. Electrochemical impedance spectros-copy showed that the methanol electro-oxidation activity of the PtRu catalyst was promoted by the anodic treatment. Oxidation states of Ru changed from Ru metal (43 percent) and RuO_2 (57 percent) to RuO_2 (33 percent) and RuO_xH_y (67 percent), which were studied by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The results showed that the formation of RuO_xH_y occurred at a potential range of 0.4-0.7 V.