Recent advances in direct formic acid fuel cells (DFAFC)

Carbon supported platinum is commonly used as anode and cathode electrocatalyst in low-temperature fuel cells fuelled with hydrogen or low molecular weight alcohols. The cost of Pt and the limited world supply are significant barriers to the widespread use of these types of fuel cells. Moreover, platinum used as anode material is readily poisoned by carbon monoxide, present in the reformate gas used as H2 carrier in the case of polymer electrolyte fuel cells, and a byproduct of alcohol oxidation in the case of direct alcohol fuel cells. In addition, Pt alone does not present satisfactory activity for the oxygen reduction reaction when used as cathode material. For all these reasons, binary and ternary platinum-based catalysts and non-platinum-based catalysts have been tested as electrode materials for low temperature fuel cells. Palladium and platinum have very similar properties because they belong to the same group in the periodic table. The activity for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) of Pd is only slightly lower than that of Pt, and by addition of a suitable metal, such as Co or Fe, the ORR activity of Pd can overcome that of Pt. Conversely, the activity for the hydrogen oxidation reaction (HOR) of Pd is considerably lower than that of Pt, but by adding of a very small amount (5 at%) of Pt, the HOR activity of Pd attains that of pure Pt. This paper presents an overview of Pd and Pd-containing catalysts, tested both as anode and cathode materials for low-temperature fuel cells.

Palladium in fuel cell catalysis

Bimetallic nanoparticles (NPs) have emerged as an important class of catalysts. In many cases, bimetallic alloy NPs have higher catalytic efficiencies than their monometallic counterparts, owing to strong synergy between the metals. In this Review, we survey the research progress on the synergistic effect of bimetallic alloy NPs for catalytic reactions related to fuel cells, such as the electrochemical oxidation of MeOH, EtOH, and formic acid, CO oxidation, the oxygen-reduction reaction, and the dehydrogenation of ammonia borane, formic acid, hydrous hydrazine, hydrazine borane, etc. In addition, the use of synergistic catalysis in some other important reactions has also been reviewed. Recent developments in synergistic catalysis over bimetallic alloy NPs will provide access to a variety of low-cost and high-performance catalysts for laboratory and industrial applications within the next few years.

Synergistic Catalysis over Bimetallic Alloy Nanoparticles

Challenges and opportunities of thermal management issues related to fuel cell technology and modeling

Formic acid as a natural biomass and a CO2 reduction product has attracted considerable interest in renewable energy exploitation, serving as both a promising candidate for chemical hydrogen storage material and a direct fuel for low temperature liquid fed fuel cells In addition to its chemical dehydrogenation, formic acid oxidation (FAO) is a model reaction in the study of electrocatalysis of C1 molecules and the anode reaction in direct formic acid fuel cells (DFAFCs) Thanks to a deeper mechanistic understanding of FAO on Pt and Pd surfaces brought about by recent advances in the fundamental investigations, the “synthesis-by-design” concept has become a mainstream idea to attain high-performance Pt- and Pd-based nanocatalysts As a result, a large number of efficient nanocatalysts have been obtained through different synthesis strategies by tailoring geometric and electronic structures of the two primary catalytic metals In this paper, we provide a brief overview of recent progress in the mechanistic studies of FAO, the synthesis of novel Pd- and Pt-based nanocatalysts as well as their practical applications in DFAFCs with a focus on discussing studies significantly contributing to these areas in the past five years

Electrocatalysis of formic acid on palladium and platinum surfaces: from fundamental mechanisms to fuel cell applications

A miniature air breathing direct formic acid fuel cell

Part I: Regional Landscape Perspectives . 1. Raw materials and techno-economic behaviors at Oldowan and Acheulean sites in the West Turkana region, Kenya (Sonia Harmand). 2. Patterns of lithic material procurement and transformation during the Middle Paleolithic in western Europe (Liliane Meignen, Anne Delagnes, and Laurence Bourguignon). 3. Revisiting European Upper Paleolithic raw material transfers: the demise of the cultural ecological paradigm? (Jehanne Feblot-Augustins). 4. Raw materials for chipped stone artifacts: state of the art in the Carpathian Basin of central Europe (Kati Biro). 5. Upper Paleolithic toolstone procurement and selection across Beringia (Kelly Graf and Ted Goebel). 6. Reduction, recycling, and raw material procurement in western Arnhem Land, Australia (Peter Hiscock). Part II: Technological and Assemblage Variability . 7. Paleolithic exploitation of rounded and sub-angular quartzites in the Indian Subcontinent (Parth Chauhan). 8. Filling the void: lithic raw material utilization during the Hungarian Gravettian (Viola Dobosi). 9. Technological efficiency as adaptive behavior among Paleolithic hunter-gatherers: evidence from la-Cote, Caminade Est, and le Flageolet I, France (Stephen Cole). 10. Trash: the structure of Great Basin Paleoarchaic debitage assemblages in western North America (Rebecca Kessler, Charlotte Beck, and George Jones). Part III: Micro-landscape Perspectives . 11. Reconstructing landscape use and mobility in the Namibian Early Stone Age using operations analysis (Grant McCall). 12. Changing the face of the earth: human behavior at Sede Ilan, an extensive Lower-Middle Paleolithic quarry site in Israel (Ran Barkai and Avi Gopher). 13. Aurignacian core reduction and landscape utilization in the vicinity of la Ferrassie, France (Brooke Blades). 14. Oblazowa and Hlomcza: two Paleolithic sites in the North Carpartians Province of southern Poland (Pawel Valde-Nowak). 15. Raw material economy and technological organization at Solvieux, France (Linda Grimm and Todd Koetje). Part IV: Hominid Cognition, Adaptation, and Cultural Chronology. 16. Inferring aspects of Acheulean sociality and cognition from biface technology in the Hunsgi-Baichbal valley of India (Ceri Shipton, Michael Petraglia, and K. Paddayya). 17. Quina procurement and tool production (Peter Hiscock, Alain Turq, Jean-Philippe Faivre, and Laurence Bouguignon). 18. The impact of lithic raw material quality and post-depositional processes on cultural/chronological classification: the Hungarian Szeletian case (Brian Adams). 19. Raw material durability, function, and retouch in the Upper Paleolithic of the Transbaikal region (Karisa Terry, William Andrefsky, and Mikhail Konstantinov). 20. Clovis and Dalton: unbounded and bounded systems in the Midcontinent of North America (Brad Koldehoff and Thomas Loebel).

Lithic Materials and Paleolithic Societies

A passive direct organic fuel cell (10) includes an organic fuel solution and is operative to produce at least 15 mW/CM2 when operating at room temperature. In additional aspects of the invention, fuel cells can include a gas remover (38) configured to promote circulation of an organic fuel solution when gas passes through the solution, a modified carbon cloth (29), one or more sealants, and a replaceable fuel cartridge (350).

Organic fuel cells and fuel cell conducting sheets

The Szeletian refers to Central and Eastern European artifact assemblages that have been interpreted as “transitional” phenomena between the Middle and Upper Palaeolithic. The term Szeletian derives from material found at Szeleta Cave in the Bukk Mountains of northern Hungary. A reconsideration of the criteria employed to justify the classification of this material as “transitional” is presented together with the impact of recent research on the transitional argument. The impact of these investigations on the meaning of the term “Szeletian” is discussed, as is the legitimacy of the term with regard to hypothesized “transitional” industries in the region.

Brian Adams

Papers

A miniature air breathing direct formic acid fuel cell

Lithic Materials and Paleolithic Societies

Organic fuel cells and fuel cell conducting sheets

The Bükk Mountain Szeletian: Old and New Views on “Transitional” Material from the Eponymous Site of the Szeletian

Lower, Middle or Upper Palaeolithic? A Classification Analysis of the Bársony House Hand Axes from the North Carpathian Basin