Oxygen reduction reaction catalyzed by nickel complexes based on thiophosphorylated calix[4]resorcinols and immobilized in the membrane electrode assembly of fuel cells.

The catalytic activity of the nickel complexes of thiophosphorylated calix[4]resorcinols for oxygen reduction in a polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) has been studied. The conformation of the macrocyclic ligand determines the morphology and catalytic properties of the resulting organometallic species.

Palladium 1D nanoscale aggregates on a graphite surface using CTAB hemicylindrical micelle templates.

Nanoscale palladium clusters in the form of parallel strips have been formed on the surface of graphite with the help of a surface micellar template of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide using a chemical deposition method. The repeat period of the palladium strips deposited at 25 °C is 65 nm, with a width of 40 nm and height of 2 nm. The elemental composition of the metal clusters was confirmed using X-ray fluorescence analysis and TEM-EDX. The fact that the strips are composed of metallic palladium was also confirmed by testing the membrane electrode assembly with the strips in a commercial fuel cell. Using the obtained micellar template, the radius of the curvature of the AFM probe tip was estimated with the help of a unique method. The radius is equal to 10 nm and matches the value provided by the manufacturer.