Supporting data for “BOOSTING PERFORMANCE OF MEMBRANELESS MICROFLUIDIC FUEL CELLS VIA CELL ARCHITECTURE OPTIMIZATION AND FLOW MANAGEMENT”

This research focuses on developing high-performance membraneless microfluidic fuel cells (MFCs) via cell architecture designs and flow management. Both self-pumping and pump-assisted MFCs were designed with innovative architectures. Both single-electrolyte and dual-electrolyte MFCs were developed. For each design, the MFC was tested with architecture-sensitive fuel.Fuel-tolerated cathode material was synthesized for the single-electrolyte MFC. HCOOK was dissolved in water to serve as an efficient and safe liquid fuel.To enhance the voltage of a MFC, acid-alkaline dual-electrolyte configuration was adopted. A low-cost hydrogel was sandwiched between the two electrodes and two paper flow channels to restrain the mixing and electrolyte neutralization. The improvement of the gel-aided architecture was proven with H2O2 as both the fuel and oxidant.For pump-assisted MFCs, fuel utilization was frequently sacrificed to achieve high electrochemical performance. To enhance fuel utilization while maintaining high electrochemical performance, the density and viscosity of the co-flow were increased via the addition of suitable polymer additives. The influence of the polymer additives in the electrolytes was investigated with methanol fuel.All the MFCs were optimized through a parametric study. The optimal fuel and electrolyte concentrations were decided. For self-pumping MFCs, their durability and reactivation ability were investigated. For pump-assisted MFCs, optimal and minimum feasible flow rates were explored, and the influence of the flow rate on the fuelThe self-synthesized electrode materials were characterized by XRD, XPS, and Raman spectra, and the electrolytes were studied via FT-IR tests. The morphology of the electrodes was studied by SEM and TEM microscopy. The EPR was employed to assist in the study of the electrochemical disproportionate reactions of H2O2 on each electrode.The overall performances of the MFCs were significantly improved through the innovative designs and flow management in this study. Higher power output is usually provided by pump-assisted MFCs while self-pumping MFCs exhibit better portability and flexibility. The selection of the MFCs is based on the requirements of the applications including the power demands, the dimension restrictions, and operation conditions. In summary, the designs in this study broaden the MFCs' practical applications and pave the way for their future development.

本研究致力于通过细胞结构设计和流体管理，开发高性能的无膜微流控燃料电池（MFCs）。本研究设计了既可自泵又需泵辅助的MFCs，并采用了创新的架构。既开发了单电解质也开发了双电解质MFCs。对于每一种设计，均以架构敏感的燃料对MFC进行了测试。为单电解质MFC合成了耐燃料的阴极材料。将HCOOK溶解于水中，作为高效且安全的液体燃料。为提高MFC的电压，采用了酸碱双电解质配置。在两个电极和两个纸流通道之间夹入低成本水凝胶，以抑制混合和电解质中和。通过将H2O2作为燃料和氧化剂，验证了凝胶辅助架构的改进。对于泵辅助MFCs，为在保持高电化学性能的同时提高燃料利用率，通过添加适宜的聚合物添加剂增加了共流的密度和粘度。通过甲醇燃料研究了电解质中聚合物添加剂的影响。所有MFCs均通过参数研究进行了优化，确定了最佳的燃料和电解质浓度。对于自泵MFCs，研究了其耐用性和再活化能力。对于泵辅助MFCs，探讨了最佳和最小可行流速，并研究了流速对燃料的影响。通过XRD、XPS和拉曼光谱对自合成电极材料进行了表征，并通过FT-IR测试研究了电解质。通过SEM和TEM显微镜研究了电极的形貌。采用EPR辅助研究了每个电极上H2O2的电化学歧化反应。通过本研究中的创新设计和流体管理，显著提高了MFCs的整体性能。泵辅助MFCs通常提供更高的功率输出，而自泵MFCs则表现出更好的便携性和灵活性。MFCs的选择基于应用的需求，包括功率需求、尺寸限制和操作条件。总之，本研究中的设计拓宽了MFCs的实际应用范围，为其未来的发展铺平了道路。