Nanostructured design of electrocatalyst support materials for high-performance PEM fuel cell application

• Published in: Journal of power sources Vol. 203; pp. 26 - 33
• Main Authors: Balgis, Ratna, Anilkumar, Gopinathan M., Sago, Sumihito, Ogi, Takashi, Okuyama, Kikuo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 01.04.2012; Elsevier
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Catalysis; Catalyst support; Catalysts: preparations and properties; Chemistry; Direct energy conversion and energy accumulation; Electrical engineering. Electrical power engineering; Electrical power engineering; Electrocatalyst; Electrochemical conversion: primary and secondary batteries, fuel cells; Electrochemistry; Energy; Energy. Thermal use of fuels; Equipments for energy generation and conversion: thermal, electrical, mechanical energy, etc; Exact sciences and technology; Fuel cells; General and physical chemistry; Mass activity; Miscellaneous (electroosmosis, electrophoresis, electrochromism, electrocrystallization, ...); Particle morphology; Proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC); Theory of reactions, general kinetics. Catalysis. Nomenclature, chemical documentation, computer chemistry; Electrocatalyst; Proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC); Particle morphology; Mass activity; Catalyst support; Particle size; Nanoparticle; Nanostructured material; Polymer solid electrolyte; Agglomeration; Porous material; Supported catalyst; Electrocatalysis; Platinum; Styrene polymer; Proton exchange membrane fuel cell; Proton exchange membrane fuel cells; High performance; Microsphere; Polymer electrolytes; Electrocatalysts; Spray drying; Carbon; Impregnation; PEMFC; Transmission electron microscopy; Morphology
• ISSN: 0378-7753; 1873-2755
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jpowsour.2011.11.064

[Display omitted] ► Carbon morphology was successfully controlled for catalyst support. ► Droplet density influences the morphology of carbon particles. ► Spherical particles were obtained by decreasing the droplet density. ► Carbon surface area influences the Pt loading. ► Pt/C HPM presents higher catalyst performance than Pt/C DEL and commercial catalyst (TKK). Carbon-supported platinum (Pt/C) catalysts with controlled morphologies, namely, “ dense- erythrocyte- like (DEL)” and “ hollow- porous- microsphere (HPM)” have been synthesized by spray-drying followed by impregnation of 10 wt.% of Pt nanoparticles. Addition of polystyrene latex (PSL) template particles plays a crucial role to determine the carbon morphology, which was confirmed by SEM and TEM images. The preparation of modified catalyst support was completed in only several seconds for DEL and less than 1 h for HPM, which is contrary to currently available methods that require time up to several days to complete the modified catalyst support synthesize. Pt nanoparticles are agglomeration-free, and well-dispersed on the surface of the carbon particles with the size around 4 nm. The electrocatalytic activity of the modified Pt/C catalyst particles was comparable to that of a commercially available Pt/C catalyst (TKK). The specific activity of the Pt/C HPM catalyst was 2 times higher than that of Pt/C DEL catalyst, and was up to 2.5 times than that of the commercial one. The mass activity of Pt/C HPM was 239.57 mA mg −1 Pt and also shows a great enhancement, about 1.55 times higher than the commercial.