Correlation between electrochemical performance degradation and catalyst structural parameters on polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell

Abstract

The catalysts performance degradation is a crucial issue in decay of the polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (PEMFC). The effect of Nafion content, dispersity of Pt nanoparticles and selected types of carbon support on the degradation of electrochemical surface area (ECSA) and double layer capacitance (DLC) were experimentally discussed by accelerated stress test (AST). The catalyst with 20wt% Nafion content exhibited better catalyst performance. i.e., the less DLC and ECSA degradation during AST. Catalysts with well Pt dispersity showed superior %ECSA (the percentage change of ECSA) retention. The heat-treated catalysts exhibited the lowest ECSA and DLC degradation rate due to the larger Pt particle and high carbon corrosion resistance. Moreover, a multi-order model describing the correlation between ECSA and DLC degradation was proposed, providing a vital reference for quantitatively investigating ECSA and DLC degradation in the catalysts with different catalysts structural parameters.

Superior Fe x N electrocatalyst derived from 1,1′-diacetylferrocene for oxygen reduction reaction in alkaline and acidic media

“…In addition to the performance in alkaline media, the performance in acidic media is another major challenge for industrial application. In this study, the electrocatalytic activities of commercial Pt/C and FGN ECSA is another important index to evaluate the stability of catalytic activity [52,54,55]. The CV after long circulation can be used to evaluate the durability of commercial Pt/C and FGN-8 catalysts, with a scan rate of 50 mV s −1 in O 2 -saturated 0.5 M H 2 SO 4 at room temperature.…”

Unraveling the Electrocatalytic Activity of Platinum Doped Zirconium Disulfide toward the Oxygen Reduction Reaction

“…24−26 However, this kind of catalyst also has some limitations such as low stability in an acidic medium (or in the Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells (PEMFC) operation environment). 27 Cutting the quantity of Pt in Ptbased materials with maintaining good catalytic performance is essential for sustainable fuel cell development; this necessitates a high usage of the Pt atoms. To cut the amount of Pt metal and to replace the expensive Pt electrocatalyst, various approaches are used e.g., developing a Pt nanostructure, alloying Pt with some earth abundant metals, metal composites, 28 and so on.…”

“…Ni, Pd, Ag, Au, and Pt clusters are suitable to catalyze O 2 in their pure form. − Wang Y. et al have widely reported that synergistic Mn-Co catalysts act as good ORR catalyts . Many recent articles reveal that metal oxide and sulfide can also be utilized as effective catalysts for the ORR, which gives efficiency close to Pt/C catalysts. − However, this kind of catalyst also has some limitations such as low stability in an acidic medium (or in the Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells (PEMFC) operation environment) . Cutting the quantity of Pt in Pt-based materials with maintaining good catalytic performance is essential for sustainable fuel cell development; this necessitates a high usage of the Pt atoms.…”

Low Temperature Water-Gas Shift: Enhancing Stability through Optimizing Rb Loading on Pt/ZrO2

“…Thus, the second stage is carried out at low temperatures (LT-WGS) with a highly active catalyst to achieve higher CO conversion. Polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) are a heavily researched topic and an important technology for the future of renewable energy and portable power, as they have the potential to cleanly and efficiently provide electrical energy from hydrogen [1][2][3][4][5][6]. However, these PEMFCs are very susceptible to poisoning by CO, which is a product or byproduct of many hydrogen production reactions (e.g., steam reforming of hydrocarbons or alcohols).…”