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Keywords: energy sources

FORMATION OF NANOCOMPOSITE CARBON MATERIALS WITH BIMETALLIC NANOPARTICLES FOR AUTONOMOUS ENERGY SOURCES

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 5-12 p.
Abstract
The development of highly efficient autonomous energy sources allows for stable and uninterrupted power supply of physical and chemical processes and industries under various operating modes. Modern technological methods and approaches to the production of nanostructured electrode materials, as well as the elucidation of the features of the mechanisms of electrochemical reactions based on platinum metal nanoparticles make it possible to design control sensors, fuel cells and electrolyzers with increased energy characteristics. Carbon nanotubes used to create nanostructured electrodes in chemical energy converters have high functional properties compared to other matrices and, modified with nanoparticles with a reduced metal content, can increase the electrocatalytically active electrode surface area and achieve maximum fuel cell power parameters. In this work, the formation of bimetallic nanostructured composites with a variable composition on carbon carrier matrices for the construction of electrodes of autonomous current sources was carried out. Single- and multi-wall carbon nanotubes were chosen as substrates. To obtain composites, bimetallic platinum-palladium nanoparticles with different metal ratios were synthesized. The materials were studied by electron microscopy and X-ray phase analysis. As a result, an optimal algorithm, a synthesis method and conditions for creating nanocomposites with minimal particle sizes are established. The molar ratio water:surfactant changing, as well as the ratio of precursor metals, it is possible to obtain bimetallic platinum-palladium nanoparticles up to 12 nm. The data on the influence of the formation metal nanoparticles conditions on their size, shape and distribution over the matrix surface had been obtained. A series of prototypes has been formed for practical use in the design of current sources.
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PALLADIUM NANOELECTROCATALYSTS ON COMBINED MATRIX-SUPPORTS FOR CHEMICAL POWER SOURCES

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 29-36 p.
Abstract
Fuel cells with direct oxidation of formic acid are promising converters of chemical reaction energy into electricity due to the high open-circuit potential, safe (non-flammable and non-toxic) fuel and higher energy characteristics compared to chemical current sources with direct oxidation of alcohols. The crossover effect with a low formic acid content allows the thin membrane application, as well as a high concentration of fuel (up to 20 M), which helps to increase the structure specific power parameters as a whole. Catalysts based on Pt or Pd are widely used in the electrooxidation reaction of formic acid. It has been known that catalysts based Pd are more effective than that Pt due to their resistance to carbon monoxide as the main reaction product. In this paper, the volt-ampere and watt-ampere characteristics of formic acid-based fuel cells and air under model operating conditions were studied. The tests were carried out on a certified laboratory stand of a fuel cell, to which a working model of the investigated membrane-electrode unit was connected. The optimal characteristics of the catalyst loading are established to achieve optimal parameters of current density and specific power. The creation of new catalysts and the modification of existing ones will help to increase the electrodes operation time, reduce the production cost, in-crease their efficiency by increasing efficiency, and also use as fuel not only hydrogen, but also other fuels such as formic acid.
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PHYSICO-CHEMICAL FEATURES OF THE PALLADIUM NANOCATALYSTS FORMATION ON COMBINED MATRICES-CARRIER FOR FUEL CELLS

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 58-66 p.
Abstract
The development of modern nanotechnological methods and approaches to the synthesis and formation of nanostructures allows us to create new materials that combine various functional properties and unique physical and chemical characteristics. Such structures include composite materials consisting of a structured matrix modified with various fillers. Currently, composites are of particular interest to researchers, in which nanoscale particles play the role of filler, which makes it possible to obtain catalysts with increased activity and stability. Commercial perfluorinated proton exchange membranes of the Nafion type and carbon-containing carriers (carbon nanotubes, graphene, fullerenes) are promising carrier matrices for chemical energy sources – fuel cells. Nanoparticles based on platinum, palladium, or their alloys are excellent materials for the reactions of electrocatalytic oxidation of hydrogen and oxygen reduction that occur in fuel cells. The elements based on the direct oxidation of formic acid mainly use bimetallic nanoparticles based on palladium, which exhibit higher catalytic properties. In this work, new effective polymer-carbon composites modified with palladium nanoparticles were synthesized. Single- and multi-wall carbon nanotubes were chosen as substrates. Physicochemical studies of the obtained materials were carried out using electron microscopy and small-angle X-ray light scattering. The sizes of nanoparticles in the composition of functional carrier matrices are determined. It was found that the carbon filler contributes to the better stabilization of small nanoparticles in the composition of the composite. The data on the influence of the conditions for the formation of metal nanoparticles on their size, shape and distribution over the matrix surface are obtained. The stability of samples with variable palladium loading on various carrier matrices was studied by chronoamperometry. The prospects of using the formed materials for fuel cell electrodes with direct oxidation of formic acid are proved.
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