Ni Modified MCM-41 as a Catalyst for Direct Methanol Fuel Cells

Electrodes made from Mobil catalytic materials number 41 (MCM-41) modified with nickel were successfully prepared by mixing Ni-MCM-41 powders with conducting carbon black in an appropriate ratio. The chemical composition and the phase structure of the prepared catalyst were investigated by energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). On the other hand, the surface morphology was investigated using scanning electron microscope (SEM) and transmission electron microscope (TEM). For fuel cell applications, the electrochemical measurements demonstrated that the fabricated electrodes displayed a considerable catalytic activity towards the electrooxidation of methanol in 1.0 M NaOH solution. In addition, their catalytic performance as a function of the amount of Ni-MCM-41 powder and carbon black ratio was investigated. Chronoamperometric measurements revealed a good catalytic stability as well as good catalytic efficiency towards methanol electrooxidation. A comparison was made between the catalytic activity of Ni(II) modified Ni-MCM-41, NiS-1 and TS-1 catalysts as a function of channel pore size.