Mazarin Silvio M, Costa-Filho Daniel F, Zanata Cinthia R, Nogueira Adailton C, Silva Maria-Victória S, Wender Heberton, Martins Cauê A
Institute of Physics, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul, CP 549, 79070-900, Campo Grande, MS, Brazil.
ACS Omega. 2024 Oct 15;9(43):43658-43667. doi: 10.1021/acsomega.4c05943. eCollection 2024 Oct 29.
The imperative to address CO emissions has prompted the search for alternative approaches to capture this gas with minimal energy consumption. In this context, leveraging the CO reduction reaction (CORR) as an oxidant in fuel cells has emerged as a sophisticated strategy to convert this gas into usable energy. This study introduces a hybrid microfluidic photo fuel cell (μPFC) designed for the efficient conversion of CO and glycerol into electrical energy. The prototype integrates 3D-printed components with glass sealing, enabling precise control over the reactant flow and the use of light-sensitive catalysts. The anodic glycerol electrooxidation was investigated on Pt/C dispersed on carbon paper (CP), while the CORR was carried out on CuBiO/CP and CuBiO/CuO/CP in the presence of solar light. Half-cell measurements demonstrate the photoactivity of CuBiO/CuO/CP and CuBiO/CP electrodes for the CORR under light exposure at low onset potential in a neutral pH solution, generating a positive theoretical open-circuit voltage of 0.89-0.91 V when coupled to glycerol electrooxidation in an alkaline medium. The use of the mixed medium in the membraneless system equipped with the photosensitive catalysts allowed the building of this galvanic cell. However, the feasibility of using CuBiO/CP is hindered by the disruption of the colaminar channel caused by hydrogen bubbles produced during concurrent water splitting. In contrast, the μPFC equipped with a CuBiO/CuO/CP photocathode demonstrates a stable and reproducible performance, delivering a maximum power density of 0.9 mW cm. The formation of the CuBiO/CuO heterojunction effectively suppresses photocatalytic water splitting, allowing for efficient CO conversion without disruption of the laminar flow channel. This innovative approach highlights the potential of μPFCs as sustainable energy converters for the utilization of CO in aqueous solutions, offering a pathway toward carbon-neutral energy production.
应对一氧化碳排放的迫切需求促使人们寻找以最低能耗捕获这种气体的替代方法。在此背景下，利用一氧化碳还原反应（CORR）作为燃料电池中的氧化剂已成为一种将这种气体转化为可用能源的复杂策略。本研究介绍了一种混合微流控光燃料电池（μPFC），其设计用于将一氧化碳和甘油高效转化为电能。该原型将3D打印部件与玻璃密封相结合，能够精确控制反应物流动并使用光敏催化剂。在分散于碳纸（CP）上的Pt/C上研究了阳极甘油电氧化，而在太阳光存在下，在CuBiO/CP和CuBiO/CuO/CP上进行了CORR。半电池测量表明，在中性pH溶液中，在低起始电位的光照下，CuBiO/CuO/CP和CuBiO/CP电极对CORR具有光活性，当与碱性介质中的甘油电氧化耦合时，产生0.89 - 0.91 V的正理论开路电压。在配备光敏催化剂的无膜系统中使用混合介质使得能够构建这种原电池。然而，由于同时进行水分解过程中产生的氢气泡导致层状通道破坏，使用CuBiO/CP的可行性受到阻碍。相比之下，配备CuBiO/CuO/CP光阴极的μPFC表现出稳定且可重复的性能，最大功率密度为0.9 mW/cm²。CuBiO/CuO异质结的形成有效抑制了光催化水分解，使得能够在不破坏层流通道的情况下实现高效的一氧化碳转化。这种创新方法突出了μPFC作为用于水溶液中一氧化碳利用的可持续能量转换器的潜力，为实现碳中和能源生产提供了一条途径。
