JZUS - Journal of Zhejiang University SCIENCE

Journal of Zhejiang University SCIENCE A 2008 Vol.9 No.7 P.955-960

http://doi.org/10.1631/jzus.A0720049

Development of a miniature silicon wafer fuel cell using L-ascorbic acid as fuel

Author(s): Jian WU, Zhi-yong XIAO, Yi-bin YING, Philip C.H. CHAN
Affiliation(s): School of Biosystems Engineering and Food Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310029, China; more
Corresponding email(s): ybying@zju.edu.cn
Key Words: L-ascorbic acid, Fuel cell (FC), Silicon wafer

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Abstract: In the current studies a miniature silicon wafer fuel cell (FC) using l-ascorbic acid as fuel was developed. The cell employs l-ascorbic acid and air as reactants and a thin polymer electrolyte as a separator. Inductively coupled plasma (ICP) silicon etching was employed to fabricate high aspect-ratio columns on the silicon substrate to increase the surface area. A thin platinum layer deposited directly on the silicon surface by the sputtering was used as the catalyst layer for l-ascorbic acid electro-oxidation. Cyclic voltammetry shows that the oxidation of l-ascorbic acid on the sputtered platinum layer is irreversible and that the onset potentials for the oxidation of l-ascorbic acid are from 0.27 V to 0.35 V versus an Ag/AgCl reference electrode. It is found that at the room temperature, with 1 mol/L l-ascorbic acid/PBS (phosphate buffered solution) solution pumped to the anode at 1 ml/min flow rate and air spontaneously diffusing to the cathode as the oxidant, the maximum output power density of the cell was 1.95 mW/cm² at a current density of 10 mA/cm².

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