High activity of Au–Cu/C electrocatalyst as anodic catalyst for direct borohydride-hydrogen peroxide fuel cell

Carbon supported Au–Cu bimetallic nanoparticles are prepared by a modified NaBH4 reduction method in aqueous solution at room temperature. The electrocatalytic activities of the Au–Cu/C catalysts are investigated by cyclic voltammetry, chronoamperometry, chronopotentiometry and fuel cell experiments. It has been found that the Au–Cu/C catalysts have much higher catalytic activity for the direct oxidation of BH4− than Au/C catalyst. Especially, the Au67Cu33/C catalyst presents the highest catalytic activity for BH4− electrooxidation among all as-prepared catalysts, and the DBHFC using Au67Cu33/C anode catalyst and Au/C cathode catalyst shows the maximum power density of 51.8 mW cm−2 at 69.5 mA cm−2 and 20 °C.

► The Au–Cu/C catalysts as anode electrocatalysts for DBHFC were synthesized.
► The average particle size of Au–Cu bimetallic nanoparticles is approximately 6 nm.
► The Au–Cu/C can apparently improve the catalytic activity for the electrooxidation of BH4−.
► The performance of DBHFC employing Au–Cu/C as anode catalyst was reported.
► The maximum power density of 51.8 mW cm−2 was obtained at 20 °C.