Rechargeable PEM Fuel-Cell Batteries Using Porous Carbon Modified with Carbonyl Groups as Anode Materials

Rechargeable fuel-cell batteries (RFCBs) operate by hydrogen storage and release at the anode, while oxygen evolution and reduction reactions occur at the cathode. High-surface-area porous carbon was treated with HNO3 to produce an anode material with carbonyl and phenol groups on the surface, thereby providing redox sites for hydrogen storage and release. The HNO3-activated carbon anodes were characterized with respect to use in a RFCB operated from room temperature to 75 degrees C with a voltage range of 0-2.0 V. The quantity of carbonyl groups and the corresponding reduced phenol groups increased with the O/C atomic ratio of the oxygenated carbon, by which the electrical capacity was increased to reach a maximum of 125 mAh g(-1) at an O/C atomic ratio of 0.114. The optimal temperature and charge voltage for performance and cyclability were determined to be 50 degrees C and 1.25 V, respectively. The charge and discharge times remained at ca. 93% of the respective initial values after 300 cycles. The RFCB with the modified porous carbon anode provided energy densities of 2.5-13.8 Wh kg(-1) and power densities of 46.4-296.3 W kg(-1) (normalized according to the mass of the entire cell). (C) The Author(s) 2015. Published by ECS. All rights reserved.