Spray drying as a novel and scalable fabrication method for nanostructured CsH sub(2)PO sub(4), Pt-thin-film composite electrodes for solid acid fuel cells

• Published in: RSC advances Vol. 4; no. 104; pp. 60429 - 60436
• Main Authors: Suryaprakash, R C, Lohmann, F P, Wagner, M, Abel, B, Varga, A
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 01.11.2014
• Subjects: Deposition; Electrodes; Electrolytes; Fuel cells; Nanostructure; Pellets; Platinum; Spray drying; Thin films
• ISSN: 2046-2069
• DOI: 10.1039/c4ra10259b

Spray drying was explored as a new CsH sub(2)PO sub(4) nanoparticle synthesis method and a systematic parameter study was conducted to discover the set leading to optimal deposition rate and particle size distribution for applications in solid acid fuel cell electrodes. The nanoparticles were deposited directly onto either a carbon paper current collector or a dense CsH sub(2)PO sub(4) electrolyte pellet with a deposition rate of 1 mg h super(-1) cm super(-2) measured to be the same order of magnitude as for previously employed electrospray. However, the total nanoparticle production rate is at 165 mg h super(-1) almost two orders of magnitude higher than the total production rate of electrospray. Novel, high performance solid acid fuel cell electrodes were fabricated by depositing CsH sub(2)PO sub(4) nanoparticles onto a dense, uniaxially pressed CsH sub(2)PO sub(4) electrolyte pellet, forming a three dimensional, porous, interconnected nanostructure, and thus providing a large surface area for subsequent Pt thin film deposition viamagnetron sputtering. Electrochemical measurements viaimpedance spectroscopy in a symmetric cell configuration Pt + CsH sub(2)PO sub(4)|CsH sub(2)PO sub(4)|CsH sub(2) PO sub(4) + Pt show good reproducibility, excellent mass normalized activity as well as stability over a 24 h period.