As of 2017, approximately 27% of energy consumption in the U.S. is in the form of nonrenewable transportation fuel. This has led to research into different renewable and cleaner energy resources. One strong candidate is the use of ethanol in a fuel cell system. Ethanol has a high energy density (6.32 kWh/L) compared to hydrogen (0.00296 kWh/L), is a nontoxic liquid, easy to store, easy to transport, and is renewable through the carbon cycle. What makes the commercialization of ethanol fuel cells difficult is ethanol’s slow and incomplete oxidation to CO<sub>2</sub>, even with some of the best electrocatalysts that have been reported in literature. In our research, we have studied the ethanol electrooxidation reaction (EOR) on synthesized PtNiCu nanoparticle catalysts using surface enhanced infrared absorption spectroscopy (SEIRAS). From SEIRAS, we have gained mechanistic insights of the reaction pathway on PtNiCu vs. pure Pt catalyst (ex: figure 1). In this presentation, we will share our results in the context of understanding what helps CO<sub>2</sub> selectivity and reaction pathways at different potentials.

Mechanistic study of the ethanol electrooxidation reaction (EOR) on PtNiCu nanocatalysts

Macromolecular Chemistry: The Second Century

[Author Benefits](https://scimeetings.acs.org/?utm_source=pubs_content_marketing&utm_medium=website&utm_campaign=0320_MCF_NPI_Launch_Spring_Homepage&ref=pubs_content_marketing)

[How to use SciMeetings](https://storage.googleapis.com/dl.morressier.com/acs/SciMeetings-ACSSpring2020-HowToGuide_M3020-Final.pdf)

[Frequently Asked Questions](https://storage.googleapis.com/dl.morressier.com/acs/SciMtng_ACSNMSp2020_FAQ_M3120_Final.pdf)

ACS Spring 2020 National Meeting & Expo

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.