Deposition of Pt Nanoparticles by Ascorbic Acid on Composite Electrospun Polyacrylonitrile-Based Carbon Nanofiber for HT-PEM Fuel Cell Cathodes

Abstract

The efficient use of renewable energy sources requires development of new electrocatalytic materials for electrochemical energy storage systems, particularly fuel cells. To increase durability of high temperature polymer electrolyte fuel cell (HT-PEMFC), Pt/carbon black based catalysts should be replaced by more durable ones, for example Pt/carbon nanofibers (CNF). Here, we report for the first time the quantitative ascorbic acid assisted deposition of Pt onto electrospun polyacrylonitrile-based CNF composite materials. The effect of their subsequent post-treatment at various temperatures (250 and 500 °C) and media (vacuum or argon-hydrogen mixture) on the Pt/C catalyst morphology is investigated. All obtained samples are thoroughly studied by high resolution electron microscopy, and Pt electrochemically active specific surface area was evaluated by cyclic voltammetry.

Proton-Conducting Polymer-Coated Carbon Nanofiber Mats for Pt-Anodes of High-Temperature Polymer-Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cell

“…Due to their instability during the FC operation in phosphoric acid media at a sufficiently high temperature (150–200 °C) at high potential, their replacement with more stable carbon nanostructured materials is required. Recently, we have shown that carbon nanofiber (CNF) mats (self-supporting entire non-woven carbon nanofiber material) based on polyacrylonitrile (PAN) or polyheteroarylenes can be used as electrocatalyst support for Pt nanoparticles and applied as electrodes for the high-temperature polymer-electrolyte membrane FC [ 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 , 26 , 27 , 28 , 29 , 30 , 31 , 32 , 33 ].…”