Dissolution of transition metals in combinatorially sputtered Pt(1-x-y)W(x)M'(y) (M, M' = Co, Ni, Mn, Fe) PEMFC electrocatalysts

• Published in: Journal of the Electrochemical Society Vol. 153; no. 10; pp. A1835 - A1946
• Main Authors: Bonakdarpour, A, Lobel, R, Atanasoski, R T, Vernstrom, G D, Schmoeckel, A K, Debe, M K, Dahn, J R
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 01.01.2006
• ISSN: 0013-4651
• DOI: 10.1149/1.2221868

The stability of Pt-based or other metallic alloys under the corrosive working conditions of proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) is an important factor to consider in the search for improved PEM electrocatalysts. The dissolution of transition metals (Co, Ni, Mn, Fe) from Pt(1-x-y)W(x)M'(y) electrocatalysts after operation in PEM hydrogen fuel cells or after treatment in 1 M H(2)SO(4) at 80 deg C is reported. Catalyst libraries were prepared by combinational sputtering on nanostructured thin-film supports that were used directly in fuel cells and for acid testing. In each library the Pt mass loading was kept fixed at 0.1 mg cm(-2) while the amounts of M and M' varied with position. The transition metal content of all compositions of all libraries, determined by electron microprobe, was significantly reduced in the same way after fuel cell or acid testing. Samples with x + y 5 > or = 0.25 before fuel cell or acid testing were found with x + yapprox 0.25 after exposure due to the dissolution of transition metals, independent of the choice of M and M' for the elements studied here. We suggest that the composition Pt(1-x-y)W(x)M'(y) with x + yapprox 0.25 is near the percolation limit for diffusion of transition metals from the interior of the alloy. The acid treatment described here mimics fuel cell testing from a corrosion standpoint and hence can be used as a simpler, ex situ test for PEM electrocatalysts.