Development and characterization of tubular direct methanol fuel cells for use in in situ NMR analysis

Abstract

The present study developed a tubular direct methanol fuel cell (tubular DMFC) for use in in situ Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) that could monitor various electrochemical reactions in real time. The tubular DMFC was fabricated in such a way as to prevent corrosion of cell components and to facilitate a supply of the reactants and removal of the products. The cell showed improved performance and durability sufficient for its use in an in situ NMR test, but problems with rapid performance decay persisted. Detailed reasons for the performance degradation were investigated through rigorous analytical work using various techniques. The tubular DMFC was also installed in an NMR probe to test signal sensitivity and resolution of D-2 NMR spectra for deuterated methanol (CD3OH) and deuterated water (D2O). The spectral resolutions of both species were high, and their signal intensities were strong enough to realize an acceptable spectra. Copyright (C) 2012, Hydrogen Energy Publications, LLC. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.