Ohio University

Howard Dewald

Hao Chen

Ning Pan

Yun Zhang

Zongqian Yuan

A mass spectrometry-based method of directly online detecting fuel cell reaction products includes passing a reactant sample () through a fuel cell () to form reaction products that exit the fuel cell () in an output stream (). The method also includes adding a derivatizing reagent () to the output stream () to form a derivatized output stream (), wherein the derivatizing reagent () reacts with a potential reaction product to thereby form a derivatized reaction product if the potential reaction product is present. The method further includes directing a charged solvent () toward the derivatized output stream () to thereby ionize the derivatized output stream () and directing the ionized, derivatized output stream () to a mass spectrometer (), the mass spectrometer () being configured to detect the derivatized reaction product.

Online monitoring of fuel cell reactions by desorption electrospray mass spectrometry

An apparatus to separate and analyze components of a liquid sample include a high performance liquid chromatograph with a mass spectrometer utilizing desorption electrospray ionization. This permits separation and evaluation of different components in a liquid sample. Further, this can be combined with online derivation via reactive DESI and, further, can be used with further electrochemistry.

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Athens, OH, United States of America

Howard Dewald