Effects of carbon supports on the microstructure of the Pt Co catalysts and catalyst layers for proton exchange membrane fuel cells

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Carbon exhibits excellent electrical conductivity and strong interaction with nanoparticles , making it a widely used catalyst support for oxygen reduction reactions . Herein, a series of Pt Co catalysts on different carbon supports were synthesised using a two-step method (rotary evaporation and heat treatment). Smaller Pt Co nanoparticles formed on the Ketjenblack 300J and 600JD supports than on acetylene black and Vulcan XC-72 supports due to the anchoring and limiting effects of carbon pores in the former, and their high specific surface areas prolonged the migration path of the nanoparticles . The Pt Co nanoparticles loaded on Ketjenblack 300J exhibited the highest mass activity (1080 mA mg Pt −1 ) in rotating disk electrode tests. In membrane electrode assembly tests, the Pt-Co Acetylene black catalyst layer (CL) showed a higher mass-transfer-limiting current density than the Pt Co on the Ketjenblack 300J and 600JD CLs. This improvement can be attributed to the greatly increased O 2 transfer efficiency facilitated by the optimal secondary pore structure with larger macropores . The findings of this study provide valuable insights for selecting carbon supports for high-performance proton exchange membrane fuel cells.

Ce résumé expose les affirmations des auteurs. BNTIC ne l’interprète pas comme une validation indépendante des résultats.