Electrochemical Methods for Catalyst Evaluation in Fuel Cells and Solar Cells

Abstract

In this chapter, electrochemical methods for the catalyst research for fuel cells, charge transport in electrode reaction, and heterogeneous charge transport are presented and discussed with some examples of data measurements and analyses. In fuel cell research and development, the most utilized tools for the oxygen reduction reaction (cathode reaction) are the rotating disk and rotating ring-disk electrodes in a three-compartment electrochemical cell. Cyclic voltammograms and linear-sweep voltammetry are often used for the mechanism discussion. For further experiments the half-cell (model fuel cell), a single fuel cell or fuel cell stack experiments are carried out in order to see the catalyst performances in a gas-phase condition. The advantages or disadvantages of these methods are discussed. The evaluation methods for the anode catalysts are also presented. In artificial photosynthesis and photoelectrochemical processes the measurement techniques involve heterogeneous charge transport analysis by in situ spectroelectrochemical methods and impedance spectroscopy. In solar cells the electrochemical impedance spectroscopy combined with photoelectrochemical cells provide powerful tools for kinetic analyses.