Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
1271100 | International Journal of Hydrogen Energy | 2012 | 10 Pages |
Highly dispersed Pt nanoparticles supported on Vulcan XC-72R were prepared by a modified polyol reduction for low-temperature fuel cells. The modified polyol reduction was controlled with various concentrations of reducing agent and reduction times at 90 °C. The 20 wt% Pt/C catalyst prepared under an optimum reduction condition (reduction temperature = 90 °C, ethylene glycol/H2O volume ratio = 1, and reduction time = 10 h) exhibited the highest electrochemical active surface area (EAS) and methanol oxidation activity due to the small Pt nanoparticles (1.2 nm) with quite a narrow size distribution between 0.5 and 2 nm. The 40 wt% Pt/C catalyst was prepared using the optimum condition to confirm the applicability of the preparation method. The synthesized 40 wt% Pt/C catalyst had smaller-sized Pt nanoparticles (1.3 nm) and a higher EAS than that of a commercial 40 wt% Pt/C catalyst. With pure H2 (anode) and air (cathode), a PEMFC using the synthesized 40 wt% Pt/C catalyst as a cathode had higher single-cell performance than that of the commercial catalyst.
Graphical abstractFigure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload as PowerPoint slideHighlights► Highly dispersed Pt/C catalyst was synthesized by a modified polyol reduction. ► The size of Pt nanoparticles was 1.2 nm with a narrow size distribution. ► The modified polyol reduction enhanced EAS without changing electron density.