Research and Development of Highly Active and Durable Electrocatalysts Based on Multilateral Analyses of Fuel Cell Reactions

Abstract

In order to establish clear strategies for the design of electrocatalysts with high activity and high durability, fuel cell reactions have been analyzed by multilateral techniques. The use of monodisperse Pt or Pt-alloy nanocatalysts with uniform composition, which were highly dispersed over the whole surface of the carbon support by the nanocapsule method, contributed greatly in clarifying the effects of various properties (particle size, composition, and surface structure, etc.) towards the activity and durability for the anode and cathode in polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEFCs). New catalyst layers have been developed in order to make the electrocatalysts work effectively specifically under low humidity. Several important concepts have been demonstrated for developing high-performance oxygen and hydrogen electrodes with high durability for a reversible solid oxide cell (R-SOC), which is expected to be a reciprocal direct energy converter between hydrogen and electricity with high efficiency.