Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Letter
  • Published:

Performance of Oxygen Fuel Cell Cathodes catalysed with Boron Carbide

Nature volume 210, pages 409–410 (1966)Cite this article

Abstract

THE development of suitable inexpensive electrode catalysts is one of the major tasks confronting fuel cell technologists. The platinum group metals have received considerable attention as catalysts, despite their high cost, because of their combination of stability and high catalytic activity. It has been pointed out1, however, that only a small amount of the world demand for power could be generated by hydrogen/oxygen fuel cells using the entire world production of platinum. The situation is equally unattractive for the other platinum-group metals. Consequently, for any broad-based terrestrial application of fuel cells, it is necessary to find a cheaper and more readily available material. There have been several publications describing some anode2–6 and cathode7,8 catalysts that are cheaper than the platinum-group metals.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Slaughter, J. I., and Gilvarry, J. J., Electrochem. Technol., 2, 249 (1964).

    Google Scholar 

  2. Jasinski, R., U.S. Patent 3,183,124, May 11, 1964; Power Sources Conf., 18, 10 (1964).

    Google Scholar 

  3. Belgian Patent 636,648, December 16, 1963; Lindholm, I., presented at SERAI, Brussels, June 1965.

  4. Thacker, R., Nature, 206, 186 (1965).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Thompson, C. E., U.S. Patent 3,116,169, December 31, 1963.

  6. Bacon, F. T., presented at the American Chemical Society Meeting, Atlantic City, September 1965.

  7. Jasinski, R., J. Electrochem. Soc., 112, 526 (1965).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Haworth, D. T., U.S. Patent 3,181,123, May 11, 1965.

  9. Mueller, R., and Adams, R. N., Anal. Chim. Acta, 23, 467 (1960).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Niedrach, L. W., and Alford, H. R., J. Electrochem. Soc., 112, 117 (1965).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Research Laboratories, General Motors Corporation, Warren, Michigan

    STUART G. MEIBUHR

Authors
  1. STUART G. MEIBUHR
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

MEIBUHR, S. Performance of Oxygen Fuel Cell Cathodes catalysed with Boron Carbide. Nature 210, 409–410 (1966). https://doi.org/10.1038/210409a0

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/210409a0

This article is cited by

Comments

By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing