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Durable electrocatalytic-activity of Pt-Au/C cathode in PEMFCs
S Vinod Selvaganesh1, G Selvarani, P Sridhar
1CSIR-Central Electrochemical Research Institute-Madras Unit, CSIR Madras Complex, Taramani, Chennai-600 113, India.
Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics : PCCP
|June 15, 2011
Summary
Adding gold (Au) to platinum (Pt) significantly enhances the durability of polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs). Pt-Au cathodes show minimal performance loss after 10,000 cycles, unlike traditional Pt cathodes.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Electrochemistry
- Energy Conversion
Background:
- Polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) face commercialization challenges due to limited cathode longevity.
- The durability of the cathode is a critical factor for PEMFC performance and lifespan.
- Platinum (Pt) is a key component in PEMFC cathodes, but its stability under operating conditions is a concern.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effect of incorporating gold (Au) into platinum (Pt) catalysts on the durability of PEMFC cathodes.
- To evaluate the performance and stability of carbon-supported Pt-Au (Pt-Au/C) cathodes under accelerated stress conditions.
- To understand the mechanisms behind the improved stability of Pt-Au catalysts.
Main Methods:
- Accelerated stress test (AST) involving potential cycling of carbon-supported Pt-Au (Pt-Au/C) and Pt/C cathodes.
- Performance evaluation of PEMFCs with different cathode materials.
- Electrochemical surface area measurements.
- X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) for catalyst characterization.
- X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) to analyze the chemical state of Pt.
- Field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) to examine the membrane electrode assembly (MEA).
Main Results:
- PEMFCs with Pt-Au/C cathodes exhibited only a ~10% performance loss after 7000 potential cycles, compared to ~60% for Pt/C cathodes.
- Pt-Au/C cathodes demonstrated stability exceeding 10,000 potential cycles with minimal performance degradation.
- XRD and TEM revealed that Au incorporation mitigates Pt particle aggregation during operation.
- XPS analysis indicated that Pt retains its metallic state in Pt-Au catalysts, unlike Pt/C where significant oxidation occurs.
- FESEM showed that Pt-Au catalysts help reduce catalyst layer deformations in the MEA.
Conclusions:
- Incorporating gold with platinum significantly enhances the durability and stability of PEMFC cathodes.
- Pt-Au/C catalysts offer superior resistance to degradation mechanisms like particle aggregation and oxidation compared to Pt/C.
- The improved stability of Pt-Au catalysts paves the way for more robust and commercially viable PEMFCs.
