Polybenzimidazole-modified carbon nanotubes as a support material for platinum-based high-temperature proton exchange membrane fuel cell electrocatalysts

• Published in: International journal of hydrogen energy Vol. 46; no. 57; pp. 29556 - 29567
• Main Authors: Eren, Enis Oğuzhan, Özkan, Necati, Devrim, Yılser
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 18.08.2021
• Subjects: Catalysis; High-temperature; MWCNT; PEM Fuel cell; Platinum; Polybenzimidazole (PBI); Polybenzimidazole (PBI); PEM Fuel cell; MWCNT; High-temperature; Catalysis; Platinum
• ISSN: 0360-3199; 1879-3487
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ijhydene.2020.07.101

We fabricate polybenzimidazole (PBI) wrapped carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) as support material for platinum-based fuel cell electrocatalyst. With the aid of microwave-assisted polyol reduction, we obtain very fine platinum (Pt) nanoparticles on PBI/MWCNT support while reducing the amount of Pt waste during synthesis. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) concludes that Pt-PBI/MWCNT has 43.0 m2 g−1 of electrochemically active surface area (ECSA) to catalyze hydrogen oxidation. Furthermore, after the 1000th cycle, Pt-PBI/MWCNT preserves almost 80% of its maximum ECSA, meaning that Pt-PBI/MWCNT is much more durable than the Pt/MWCNT and commercial Pt/C. High-temperature proton exchange membrane fuel cell (HT-PEMFC) performance tests are conducted under H2/Air conditions at the temperatures ranging from 150 °C to 180 °C. Nevertheless, tests conclude that the maximum power density values of the Pt-PBI/MWCNT are found inferior to the Pt/C at all temperatures (e.g., 47 vs. 62 mW cm−2 at 180 °C), suggesting that some balance between durability and performance has to be taken into consideration. •In-situ and ex-situ investigations of Pt-PBI/MWCNT catalyst in HT-PEMFC.•Pt-PBI/MWCNT electrocatalysts were successfully synthesized with microwave method.•This study showed PBI/MWCNT as the suitable support for Pt catalyst for HT-PEMFC.