No abstract

No abstract

The oxidation of carbon catalyst supports causes acute degradation in catalyst performance in proton exchange membrane fuel cells ͑PEMFCs͒. Tungsten oxide is considered here as a candidate material as an alternative catalyst support. A new method has been developed that allows Pt deposition on tungsten oxide catalyst supports. The electrochemical stability of tungsten oxide was studied by applying a coating of a tungsten-oxide-supported Pt catalyst to a rotating disk electrode and to a gold mesh. Accelerated oxidation tests were performed in deoxygenated 0.5 M H 2 SO 4 at 30 and 80°C. The oxidation stability of Pt/tungsten oxide and of Hispec 4000, a commercial catalyst, each coated on a gold mesh, was measured at 80°C. The oxygen reduction reaction ͑ORR͒ activity of Pt/tungsten oxide remained high, even after accelerated oxidation tests, while the ORR activity was extremely poor after accelerated oxidation tests of Hispec 4000.