SO2-tolerant Pt-MoO3/C catalyst for oxygen reduction reaction

A Pt-MoO3/C catalyst, aimed to eliminate the harmful effect of sulfur dioxide (SO2) on the performance of Pt nanoparticles (NPs) for catalysis of oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFC), is developed and characterized by TEM, XRD and XPS. The results reveal that Pt-MoO3/C catalyst exhibits not only a higher catalytic activity, but also a better SO2 poisoning resistance and a better recovery performance than the commercial Pt/C catalyst does.

The current density drop rate shows that Pt-MoO3/C catalyst has better sulfur dioxide tolerance than commercial Pt/C catalyst in 0.5 mol/L H2SO4 solution containing 0.1 mmol/L Na2SO3. The existence of MoO3 may change the S–Pt bond and the adsorption energy of SO2 on Pt-MoO3/C.Figure optionsDownload as PowerPoint slide