Optimizing Sustainable Energy Generation in Ethanol Fuel Cells: An Exploration of Carrageenan with TiO Nanoparticles and Ni/CeO Composites.

Based on the search for new biodegradable materials that are low cost and easy to synthesize by environmentally friendly methods, we report the use of carrageenan membranes (mixture of κ and λ carrageenans) with different concentrations of titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO NPs) and Ni/CeO (10 wt % Ni) for the fabrication of a novel fuel cell electrode for the oxidation of ethanol. Each membrane was characterized to determine its physicochemical properties using X-ray diffraction (XRD), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. Using impedance spectroscopy (IS), a maximum value of 2.08 × 10 S/cm in ionic conductivity was found for the carrageenan nanocomposite with a concentration of 5 wt % TiO NPs (CR5%). Due to its high conductivity values, the CR5% membrane was mixed with Ni/CeO to prepare the working electrode for cyclic voltammetry measurements. Using a solution of 1 M ethanol and 1 M KOH, the oxidation of ethanol over CR5% + Ni/CeO resulted in peak current density values at forward and reverse scan voltages of 9.52 and 12.22 mA/cm, respectively. From our results, the CR5% + Ni/CeO membrane proves to be more efficient in the oxidation of ethanol compared with commercially available Nafion membranes containing Ni/CeO.