Continuous monitoring of CO2 yields from electrochemical oxidation of ethanol: Catalyst,current density and temperature effects

A very simple method for continuous quantification of carbon dioxide yields from electrochemical processes, using a commercial CO₂ detector, is presented. Application of this method to electrochemical oxidation of ethanol greatly decreases the time needed to evaluate catalyst behaviours and allows for efficient elucidation of the factors that influence CO₂ yields. A systematic study of the effects of current density and temperature on the performances of Pt and PtRu anode catalysts has been carried out. The amount of CO₂ produced at each current and temperature has been measured in real time. Yields of CO₂, the product of total oxidation of ethanol, are compared with the limited results reported in the literature for direct ethanol fuel cells.