Electrochemical characteristics of acid electrolytes for fuel cells. Annual report, January 1, 1989-December 31, 1989

Five topics investigated by the Gas Research Institute (GRI) contractors at Case Western Reserve University (CWRU) during the past year included: (1) electrochemical evaluation of perfluorinated electrolyte, (2) the Nafion solid polymer electrolyte (SPE) fuel cell, (3) electrochemistry of single crystal Pt electrodes in acid solution, (4) catalytic effects of adatoms entrapped on electrode surfaces by bipolar or monopolar ion exchange membrane layers, (5) investigations of the Fleischmann-Pons phenomenon. The principal objective of the project is to evaluate new acid electrolytes. Electrochemical evaluation was made for two bis-phosphonic acids as a replacement for phosphoric acid as a fuel cell electrolyte, and also a bis-sulfonyl carbon acid as an additive to concentrated phosphoric acid electrolyte for acid H{sub 2}-O{sub 2} fuel cells. Electrochemical characteristics were found for these new perfluorinated acids.