Investigation of Borohydride Oxidation by Scanning Electrochemical Microscopy (SECM) for the Application on Direct Borohydride Fuel Cells

The direct borohydride fuel cells (DBFCs) are a much simpler system compared to the hydrogen fuel cell, in terms of fuel infrastructure. The mystery behind the borohydride oxidation reaction mechanism hinders its commercial utilization. To effectively tackle the challenges with DBFCs, it is crucial to identify a highly active catalyst and understand the nature of BH4- and its interactions with the solvent and the electrode surface environments. The proposed project aims to address the above mentioned issues, particularly to investigate the first oxidation wave of BH4- in alkali electrolytes via in-situ surface sensitive techniques such as scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM), to identify reaction intermediates. Through this opportunity we hope to foster knowledge exchange between our universities and between disciplines in engineering and analytical chemistry.

Faculty Supervisor:

Elod Lajos Gyenge

Student:

Andrew Wang

Partner:

Discipline:

Engineering - chemical / biological

Sector:

University:

University of British Columbia

Program:

Globalink