Rhodium effects on Pt anode materials in a direct alkaline ethanol fuel cell.

The development of efficient catalysts for ethanol oxidation in alkaline medium requires a synthetic approach that may prevent the surfactant molecules from being adsorbed at the catalytic sites and decreasing the electrochemical performance of the final direct ethanol fuel cell. Toward this goal, the recently reported surfactant-less Bromide Anion Exchange (BAE) method, appears as a promising route to conveniently aim at preparing PtRh alloys dispersed on carbon substrates. The catalysts prepared herein by the BAE method were characterized physicochemically to obtain structural information on the PtRh/C nanomaterials, their morphology (size and shape), and their chemical and surface composition.

Catalysis and Inhibition in the Electrochemical Reduction of CO on Platinum in the Presence of Protonated Pyridine. New Insights into Mechanisms and Products.

In the framework of modern energy challenges, the reduction of CO into fuels calls for electrogenerated low-valent transition metal complexes catalysts designed with considerable ingenuity and sophistication. For this reason, the report that a molecule as simple as protonated pyridine (PyH) could catalyze the formation of methanol from the reduction of CO on a platinum electrode triggered great interest and excitement. Further investigations revealed that no methanol is produced.