TY - GEN

T1 - Development of enhanced corrosion resistant carbon supports for Pt/C catalysts for the oxygen electroreduction reaction

AU - Golovin, V. A.

AU - Gribov, E. N.

AU - Okunev, A. G.

AU - Simonov, P. A.

AU - Voropaev, I. N.

AU - Kuznetsov, A. N.

PY - 2014

Y1 - 2014

N2 - A sharp increase in the cathode potential (up to 1.4 V. vs. RHE) due to the simultaneous presence of oxygen (air) and hydrogen in the anode side is the main degradation cause of Pt/C catalysts for polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEMFC) using as a power source for cars. This potential is much higher than the carbon oxidation potential, so the corrosion resistance of a carbon support is an important parameters of the PEMFC effective operation. In this paper, the stability of commercial carbon supports was improved by modifying the surface under different conditions. A series of the 50 % Pt/C catalysts were synthesized and their stabilities (electrochemical surface area of Pt) were investigated using "start-stop cycling" in an electrochemical cell at 1.0-1.5 vs. RHE potentials with a sweep rate of 0.5 V/s for 60,000 cycles. Commercial 40%Pt/Vulcan XC- 72 and catalysts were selected for a comparison. It is shown that the support carbonization with propane-butane mixture at 750°C increases, while the activation in air with subsequent treatment at 800°C lowers the corrosion resistance of Pt/C catalysts.

AB - A sharp increase in the cathode potential (up to 1.4 V. vs. RHE) due to the simultaneous presence of oxygen (air) and hydrogen in the anode side is the main degradation cause of Pt/C catalysts for polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEMFC) using as a power source for cars. This potential is much higher than the carbon oxidation potential, so the corrosion resistance of a carbon support is an important parameters of the PEMFC effective operation. In this paper, the stability of commercial carbon supports was improved by modifying the surface under different conditions. A series of the 50 % Pt/C catalysts were synthesized and their stabilities (electrochemical surface area of Pt) were investigated using "start-stop cycling" in an electrochemical cell at 1.0-1.5 vs. RHE potentials with a sweep rate of 0.5 V/s for 60,000 cycles. Commercial 40%Pt/Vulcan XC- 72 and catalysts were selected for a comparison. It is shown that the support carbonization with propane-butane mixture at 750°C increases, while the activation in air with subsequent treatment at 800°C lowers the corrosion resistance of Pt/C catalysts.

KW - Carbon supports

KW - Fuel cells

KW - Platinum

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84924915526&partnerID=8YFLogxK

M3 - Conference contribution

AN - SCOPUS:84924915526

VL - 1

SP - 683

EP - 688

BT - 20th World Hydrogen Energy Conference, WHEC 2014

PB - Committee of WHEC2014

T2 - 20th World Hydrogen Energy Conference, WHEC 2014

Y2 - 15 June 2014 through 20 June 2014

ER -