Ammonia borane hydrogen release in ionic liquids.

The rate and extent of H(2)-release from ammonia borane (AB), a promising, high-capacity hydrogen storage material, was found to be enhanced in ionic-liquid solutions. For example, AB reactions in 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride (bmimCl) (50:50-wt %) exhibited no induction period and released 1.0 H(2)-equiv in 67 min and 2.

Methanol electrooxidation on PtRu bulk alloys and carbon-supported PtRu nanoparticle catalysts: a quantitative DEMS study.

Methanol electrooxidation on smooth Pt and PtRu bulk alloys and carbon-supported Pt and PtRu nanoparticle catalysts has been studied using cyclic voltammetry and potential step chronoamperometry combined with differential electrochemical mass spectrometry (DEMS). The current efficiencies for generated CO2 and methyl formate were calculated from Faradaic current (coulometric charge) and mass spectrometric currents (charges) at m/z=44 and m/z=60. The effects of Ru content in PtRu catalysts, catalyst loading/roughness, and the concentration of sulfuric acid as supporting electrolyte on the reaction kinetics and product distribution during methanol electrooxidation have been investigated.

Electrocatalytic mechanism and kinetics of SOMs oxidation on ordered PtPb and PtBi intermetallic compounds: DEMS and FTIRS study.

The electrocatalytic activities and mechanisms of PtPb and PtBi ordered intermetallic phases towards formic acid, formaldehyde and methanol oxidation have been studied by DEMS and FTIRS, and the results compared to those for a pure polycrystalline platinum electrode. While PtPb exhibits an enhanced electrocatalytic activity for the oxidation of all three organic molecules when compared to a Pt electrode, PtBi exhibits an enhanced catalytic activity towards formic acid and formaldehyde oxidation, but not methanol. FTIRS data indicate that adsorbed CO does not form on PtPb or PtBi intermetallic compounds during the oxidation of formic acid, formaldehyde and methanol, and therefore their oxidation on both PtPb and PtBi intermetallic compounds proceeds via a non-CO(ads) pathway.

Electrocatalytic performance of fuel oxidation by Pt3Ti nanoparticles.

A Pt-based electrocatalyst for direct fuel cells, Pt3Ti, has been prepared in the form of nanoparticles. Pt(1,5-cyclooctadiene)Cl2 and Ti(tetrahydrofuran)2Cl4 are reduced by sodium naphthalide in tetrahydrofuran to form atomically disordered Pt3Ti nanoparticles (FCC-type structure: Fm3m; a = 0.39 nm; particle size = 3 +/- 0.

Synthesis, characterization, and electrocatalytic activity of PtPb nanoparticles prepared by two synthetic approaches.

Intermetallic PtPb nanoparticles have been synthesized by two solution-phase reduction methods. In the first (PtPb-B), Pt and Pb salts were reduced by sodium borohydride in methanol at room temperature. In the second (PtPb-N), metal-organic Pt and Pb precursors were reduced by sodium naphthalide in diglyme at 135 degrees C.

Electrocatalytic activity of ordered intermetallic phases for fuel cell applications.

The electrocatalytic activities of a wide range of ordered intermetallic phases toward a variety of potential fuels have been studied, and results have been compared to those of a pure polycrystalline platinum (Pt(pc)) electrode. A significant number of the ordered intermetallic phases exhibited enhanced electrocatalytic activity when compared to that of Pt, in terms of both oxidation onset potential and current density. The PtBi, PtIn, and PtPb ordered intermetallic phases appeared to be the most promising electrocatalysts tested thus far for fuel cell applications.