Performance of supported Au–Co alloy as the anode catalyst of direct borohydride-hydrogen peroxide fuel cell

Au–Co alloys supported on Vulcan XC-72R carbon were prepared by the reverse microemulsion method and used as the anode electrocatalyst for direct borohydride-hydrogen peroxide fuel cell (DBHFC). The physical and electrochemical properties were investigated by energy dispersive X-ray (EDX), X-ray diffraction (XRD), cyclic voltammetry, chronamperometry and chronopotentiometry. The results show that supported Au–Co alloys catalysts have higher catalytic activity for the direct oxidation of BH4− than pure nanosized Au catalyst, especially the Au45Co55/C catalyst presents the highest catalytic activity among all as-prepared Au–Co alloys, and the DBHFC using the Au45Co55/C as anode electrocatalyst shows as high as 66.5 mW cm−2 power density at a discharge current density of 85 mA cm−2 at 25 °C.