Preparation and Characterization of Catalysts Supported on Catalytically Channeled Carbon Nanofibers for Direct Methanol Fuel Cells

Abstract

Particularly channeled carbon nanofibers (CNF) were applied to the catalyst support for preparation of electrode catalysts for DMFC. Porous CNFs were prepared through selective gasification of CNF with nano-sized catalyst particles such as Ru under prescribed conditions. The channel width, length, and channeling direction were dependent on the catalyst nature and preparation conditions. The channeled CNFs-supported PtRu catalysts were tested in methanol oxidation and DMFC single cells.