Catalyst preparation by combustion synthesis for electrochemical hydrocarbon devices

Metals and ceramics can behave as active electrocatalyst materials, particularly in hydrocarbon oxidation in anodic reaction fuel cells. Combustion synthesis is a very reliable, fruitful and rapid synthesis method to produce metals, ceramics and cermets with low particle size and high specific surface area. This work describes the preparation of nanoparticle Pt/Ru alloys, ceramic perovskites such as Sm_0.95CoO_3–, and Sm_0.95CoO_3–/Pt cermets, and shows how promising these materials can be in the role of electrochemically active materials.Presented at the OSSEP Workshop Ionic and Mixed Conductors: Methods and Processes, Aveiro, Portugal, 10–12 April 2003