DUAL FUNCTION PEROVSKITE CATALYSTS & SUPPORTS FOR ALKALINE REGENERATIVE & PRESSURIZED FUEL CELLS

DURING OUR PHASE I PROGRAM, WE DEMONSTRATED A NOVEL APPROACHFOR INCREASING THE SURFACE AREAS OF MIXED METAL OXIDES OBTAINED FROM COMMERCIAL SOURCES. IN THE CASE OF LACO03, WEOBTAINED A SEVEN-FOLD INCREASE IN SURFACE AREA USING OUR NOVEL TECHNIQUE AND DEMONSTRATED THE MAINTENANCE OF THE PARENT PEROVSKITE STRUCTURE USING POWDER X-RAY DIFFRACTION. ADDITIONALLY, WE CONFIRMED AN INCREASE IN OXYGEN REDUCTION ACTIVITY RELATIVE TO THE AS-RECEIVED SAMPLEUSING ROTATING DISC ELECTRODE TECHNIQUE. IN PHASE II WE WILL INVESTIGATE MIXED METAL OXIDES AS DUAL FUNCTION OXYGEN CATALYSTS AND AS GOLD CATALYST SUPPORT MATERIALS. WE PROPOSE TO PREPARE MIXED METAL OXIDES PRIOR TO SURFACE AREA ENHANCEMENT. ADDITIONALLY, WE WILL EXTENSIVELY CHARACTERIZE THE MATERIALS AT VARIOUS STAGES OF PREPARATION AND SURFACE AREA ENHANCEMENT USING ELECTRON MICROSCOPY, X-RAY DIFFRACTION, BET SURFACE AREA, THERMAL ANDCALORIMETRIC TECHNIQUES, CONDUCTIVITY, AND CHEMICAL AND ELECTROCHEMICAL STABILITY. WE WILL EVALUATE ELECTROCHEMICALACTIVITY AND GOLD CATALYZATION OF THE MOST PROMISING MATERIALS. WE WILL DEVELOP GAS DIFFUSION ELECTRODE FABRICATION TECHNIQUES AND TEST ELECTRODES' ELECTROCHEMICAL STABILITY IN SINGLE CELL FUEL CELLS. SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF THE PROGRAM WILL LEAD TO DUAL FUNCTION OXYGEN CATALYSTS FOR REGENERATIVE FUEL CELLS AND/OR STABLE SUPPORTED GOLD ELECTRCATALYSTS FOR PRESSURIZED FUEL CELLS.