High Performance Anode for Direct Cellulosic Biomass Fuel Cells Operating at Intermediate Temperatures

Cellulosic biomass resources have considerable potential as a renewable energy source that can be used for the cogeneration of electricity and heat. The utilization of these resources generally requires three major systematic processes: gasification, gas processing, and gas utilization. If a power generator could operate using wood resources directly as fuels, then this system could be significantly simplified, thereby reducing initial equipment cost and enhancing application flexibility. An intermediate-temperature fuel cell could possibly realize such an operation; however, the fuel-cell characteristics, especially the catalytic activity of the Pt/C anode, are not sufficient at present. In this study, we attempted to improve the anode activity by alloying Pt with other metals, followed by optimization of the alloy in terms of its atomic ratio and content. The resulting PtFe/C anode yielded higher power densities (37-42 mW cm(-2)) and energy densities (125-169 Wh kg(-1)) at 250 degrees C for fuels composed of cypress, tissue paper, and cotton, compared to those obtained using the Pt/C anode, despite its smaller Pt loading.