Nanomaterials for Direct Alcohol Fuel Cell

Direct alcohol fuel cells, such as methanol and ethanol, are very promising advanced power systems that may considerably reduce dependence on fossil fuels and are, therefore, attracting increased attention widely in the world. Nanostructured materials can improve all of the three components such as cathodes, anodes, and electrolytes. This book focuses on the most recent advances in the science and technology of nanostructured materials for direct alcohol fuel cells, including novel non-noble or low noble metal catalysts deposited on the graphene layer and metal-free doped carbon black for oxygen electro-reduction reaction, Sn-based bimetallic and trimetallic nanoparticles for alcohol electro-oxidation reaction, and novel nanomaterials for promoting proton transfer in electrolyte. In addition, the book includes chapters from not only experimentalists but also computational chemists who have worked in the development of advanced power systems for decades.

Yixuan Wang is a full professor in the College of Science and Technology at Albany State University (Albany, USA). He earned his PhD in theoretical chemistry from Shandong University in 1994 and completed postdoctoral training at the Max Planck Institute for the Physics of Complex Systems (Dresden, Germany), Ludwig-Maximilians University (Munich, Germany), and Texas A&M University (College Station, USA). Prof. Wang has published about 80 peer-reviewed journal articles, coedited one book, and contributed six book chapters. His expertise is in computational/theoretical chemistry with applications in molecular design of nanomaterial-based drug delivery systems, noncovalent interactions of bio-nano systems, and molecular modeling and simulations of advanced power sources. His research as a principal investigator is currently supported by the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, the American Recovery Reinvestment Act, and the ACS Petroleum Research Fund. Prof. Wang has twice won the Research of the Year Award from Albany State University (2009, 2014) and the 1997 State Natural Science Award from the State Council of China.