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Alloy Oxide Electrocatalysts for Regenerative Hydrogen-Halogen Fuel Cell

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 January 2011

Sujit K Mondal
Affiliation:
Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Cambridge, MA, 02138, U.S.A.
Jason Rugolo
Affiliation:
Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Cambridge, MA, 02138, U.S.A.
Michael J. Aziz*
Affiliation:
Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Cambridge, MA, 02138, U.S.A.
*
1Corresponding author. maziz@harvard.edu
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Abstract

Stable, catalytically active, and inexpensive halogen electrodes are essential for the success of the regenerative hydrogen-halogen fuel cell as a competitive means of large-scale electricity storage. We report the synthesis and electrochemical testing of two novel electrode materials — ruthenium-cobalt and ruthenium-manganese alloy oxides. These alloys were fabricated by wet chemical synthesis methods as a coating on a titanium metal substrate and tested for chloride and bromide oxidation and for chlorine and bromine reduction. These alloy oxides exhibit high catalytic potency and good electrical conductivity good stability, while having a significantly reduced precious metal composition compared to commercial chloride oxidation electrodes made of the oxide of a ruthenium-titanium alloy. We tested alloys with Ru content as low as 1% that maintained good electrochemical activity. Stability tests indicate immeasurably small mass loss.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2011

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Footnotes

a)

Present Affiliation: Biomaterial and Health Science Centre, University of Texas, Houston-77030, Texas, U.S.A

References

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