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UNIVERSITY OF BUCHAREST
FACULTY OF PHYSICS Guest
2024-11-22 2:19 |
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Conference: Bucharest University Faculty of Physics 2012 Meeting
Section: Physics and Technology of Alternative Renewable Energy Supplies
Title:
Electrochemical Activity of Ni and Ni-Al Alloys for Applications in Fuel Cells
Authors:
A. M. I. TREFILOV (1), I. JEPU (2), V. ZAROSCHI (2), C. P. LUNGU(2), S. M. IORDACHE (1), Aana CUCU (1), A. M. DUCU(1), C. E. SERBAN (1), N. BANU (1), L. POPOVICI(1), I. STAMATIN(1)
Affiliation:
1 University of Bucharest, Physics Department, 3 Nano-SAE Research Centre, Bucharest, Romania
2 National Institute for Laser, Plasma and Radiation Physics, 077125 Magurele,, Romania
E-mail
alexandratrefilov@gmail.com
Keywords:
fuel cells, nickel alloy, catalyst
Abstract:
Nickel alloys with high surface area and specific morphology are intensively studied as catalyst for fuel cells, particularly for alkalines. The main concern in alkaline fuel cells is to improve the performance of the nickel catalyst. In this field of research the synthesis of nickel nanostructures with controlled size and shape proved to have higher electrocatalytic activity than the bulk material. In this respect this contribution deals with thermionic vacuum arc deposition of nickel and aluminium as a physical method and the reduction of nickel salts as a chemical method. The thermionic vacuum arc deposition was used to produce a Ni-Al thin film using two electron beams emitted by externally heated cathodes inside a vacuum chamber. The resulting Ni - Al alloys were heat treated at 800°C, Ar- atmosphere, followed by a conventional activation process with concentrated sodium hydroxide solution (40 wt% in water), which implies the leaching of aluminium. For the chemical deposition of nickel was used a aqueous phase synthesis of nickel crystals on the nanospheres of Ketjen Black and graphene oxide. The characterization of the Ni alloys has been performed by SEM (scanning electron microscopy) and the nickel catalysts electrochemical oxidation potentials were evaluated by cyclic voltammetry.
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