Long‐Term Poisoning of Methanol Anodes

Abstract

Abstract The evidence for oxide formation on dispersed platinum particles being the main cause for long‐term poisoning of methanol anodes in direct methanol fuel cells is reviewed. On the basis of in situ FTIR, XPS and current interrupt data, it is shown that poisoning by organic oxidation fragments is far less significant on such particles than on planar platinum. In addition, the mode of long‐term poisoning on Pt/Ru electrodes is also investigated; quite different behaviour from pure platinum is found, with conversion of an active hydrous oxide to the inactive rutile form of RuO 2 being primarily responsible for the decline in activity with time.