Investigation of Hydrazine Electrooxidation Performance of Dihydrobenzothienopyranone Derivatives

TL;DR

This study explores new organic compounds as efficient and low-cost alternatives to metal catalysts in fuel cells.

Contribution

The study introduces a dihydrobenzothienopyranone derivative (A5) as a promising organic catalyst for hydrazine electrooxidation.

Findings

A5 shows the highest electrochemical activity with a current density of 38.29 mA/cm².

A5 demonstrates excellent long-term stability and low charge transfer resistance.

A5 is a sustainable and cost-effective alternative to metal-based catalysts in fuel cells.

Abstract

This work presents
the electrochemical activity of five dihydrobenzothienopyranone
derivatives, A

1
–A

5
, toward the electrooxidation of
hydrazine (N2H4) in alkaline media (1 M KOH
+ 0.5 M N2H4). All of the prepared catalysts
were characterized by cyclic voltammetry (CV), chronoamperometry (CA),
electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), and linear sweep voltammetry
(LSV). Dihydrobenzothienopyranone (A

5
) exhibits the highest electrochemical activity, with a current
density of 38.29 mA/cm2. It also exhibited very good long-term
stability, showing constant catalytic activities, current density,
and low charge transfer resistance during extended periods, with relevant
features for efficient energy conversion. These findings thus constitute
evidence that A

5
might be an
active but economically feasible alternative to the conventionally
used transition metal-based catalysts such as Pd, Au, and Pt at the
anodes of direct hydrazine fuel cells. These properties combine high
stability and low cost to further make the catalyst an encouraging
candidate for fuel cell technologies that are benign to the environment.
These results highlight the potential of organic-based materials in
fuel cell applications for the future and offer a sustainable alternative
to the current metal-based systems.

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