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The characterisation and evaluation of highly dispersed tungsten carbide electrocatalysts

1980; Wiley; Volume: 30; Issue: 1 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1002/jctb.503300106

1097-4660

Richard B. Miles,

Catalysis and Oxidation Reactions

Abstract The suitability of using highly dispersed tungsten carbide as an inexpensive alternative catalyst to platinum for use in methanol fuel cells has been investigated. The results show that tungsten carbide possesses no activity for the methanol electro‐oxidation reaction. Of the tungsten carbide samples examined only those treated with molybdenum produced any measurable oxidation current. Formaldehyde, however, is oxidised on tungsten carbide though the activity is several orders of magnitude lower than that of platinum catalysts. In the potential region where the electro‐oxidation of methanol and formaldehyde takes place there is significant corrosion of the tungsten carbide catalyst in aqueous sulphuric acid electrolyte, rendering it unsuitable even as a support for platinum.