Biomimetically Synthesized Hierarchical TiO2-Graphitic Carbon as Anodic Catalysts for Direct Alkaline Sulfide Fuel Cell

Abstract

TiO2-graphitic carbon composites (TiO2/G) with hierarchical structures were synthesized using microalgae cells as the biotemplate and then applied as the anode catalyst for a promising sulfide based fuel cell, named direct alkaline sulfide fuel cell (DASFC). The results of X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopic analysis, morphology, nitrogen adsorption desorption studies, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy demonstrated a networked nanostructure with high specific surface area This novel TiO2/G composite, possessing a notably wide surface area, exhibited strong catalytic activity in alkaline sulfide oxidation, with the highest maximum power density of 38.90 mW cm(-2) obtained with 60 wt 96 TiO2/G at 70 degrees C. The present results demonstrated that TiO2/G has a great potential to be used as powerful and economical anode catalysts for a DASFC.