FORMIC ACID OXIDATION USING GOLD

NANOPARTICLES MODIFIED POLYANILINE FILMS

TOWARDS FUEL CELL APPLICATIONS

ABSTRACT:
A simple method has been demonstrated for the in situ
deposition of gold nanoparticles over polyanline thin films.
Polymer thin films were grown using cyclic voltammetry
technique. Gold nanoparticles was prepared by citrate
chemical reduction method which produced particles in the
range of 15-20 nm. For the fabrication of Au nanoparticles
entrapped polyaniline films, polyaniline was first deposited as
a thin film on Pt electrode by continuous cycling between -0.22
to 1.2 V vs Ag/AgCl at 50 mV/s. The chemically synthesized Au
nanoparticles were deposited on the polymer modified
electrodes using cyclic voltammetry for continuous 15 cycles.
Au nanoparticles modified electrodes showed improved
activity towards formic acid oxidation than Pt electrodes,
which might be due to the increase of electrochemically
accessible surface areas due to the combined effect of Au
nanoparticles and polymer.
DIRECT FORMIC ACID FUEL CELL:
 Schematic representation of oxidation of formic acid

EXPERIMENTAL METHODS:

Deposition of Au nanoparticles over the polymer films:

Synthesis of Au nanoparticles:

Au nanoparticles were prepared by following these steps. First

in a 100 ml beaker, 0.04247 gms of HAuCl4 had been added to 25 ml of
H2O to give 0.005 M suspension. Next 1 ml of the above solution is
added to 18 ml of H2O. Simultaneously citrate solution had been
prepared by mixing 0.25 gms of citrate in 50 ml of H 2O. The previous
solution was heated until it gets boiled. Add 1 ml of citrate solution as
soon as boiling commences. Continue heating until the color is changed
to purple. This indicates the formation of Au nanoparticles.
 UV-Vis spectra of Au nanoparticles

At 518 nm plasmonic absorption of Au(0)

TEM mage of Au nanopartices

(a)Deposition of Au nanoparticles over the polyaniline film

Aniline was deposited by applying continuous cycling between
-0.22 to 1.2 V versus Ag/AgCl electrode at a scan rate of 50 mV/S in the
solution containing 0.5 M H2SO4 and 0.1 M aniline. The PANI modified
platinum electrode was then cycled scanning between -0.22 to 1.2 V
versus Ag/AgCl electrode at a scan rate of 50 mV/S for 15 cycles in a
solution containing the previously prepared Au nanoparticles and 0.5 M
H2SO4. This results in Au/PANI modified platinum electrode.
(b)Fabrication of Au nanoparticle over conductive polyaniline films

Deposition of polyaniline on Pt electrode

Deposition of Au/PANI on platinum electrode in 0. M HCOOH + 0.5 M

H2SO4 50 mv/s
Fuel Oxidation Studies Using The Developed Catalyst(Au/PANI)
Cyclic voltammogram of (a)PANI modified bare Pt electrode (b)
Au/PANI in 0.5M HCOOH + 0.5M H2SO4 at 50 mv/s
PARAMETER STUDIES
(a)Scan Rate

Effect
of
scan
rate
on

HCOOH oxidation obtained from forward CV scan upon the v1/2 In

saturated 0.5 M H2SO4 using Au/PANI electrodes.
 (b) Since I proportional to v^0.5 electrocatalytic oxidation of formic
acid is diffusion controlled process

APPLICATION:

1. Stationary power - Power generating stations,

Auxiliary units, Distributed power generation,
Residential use as combined heat and power (CHP)
generation systems.

2. Transportation- Buses and cars, Airport intra-

terminal vehicles.

CONCLUSION:

In the present work, Au nanoparticles/PANI and Au

nanoparticles were synthesized. . The activity of these catalyst
structures for formic acid oxidation was studied using electrochemical
techniques, and improved activity toward Formic acid oxidation was
observed as a result of increased surface areas.