Effect of the deposition time on the electrocatalytic activity of Pt/C catalyst electrodes prepared by pulsed electrophoresis deposition method

Pt/C electrodes are prepared by pulsed electrophoresis deposition (PED) from a Pt colloidal solution as a plating bath. The PED is optimized by varying the duty cycle and deposition time in a galvanostatic mode. The catalytic activities of the Pt/C electrodes are evaluated using the cyclic voltammetry technique. The loading amount of the Pt catalyst is controlled by varying the deposition time. Also, a single cell test is carried out using the Pt/C electrodes prepared with the PED method as a cathode. In the concentration polarization region (i.e., at 0.4 V), the current density for the Pt/C 10 min electrode is 0.845 A cm−2, which is higher than the rest of the Pt/C electrodes.

► Pt/C electrodes are prepared by PED from Pt colloid as a plating bath. ► Pt loading on the electrodes is controlled by varying deposition time. ► Pt/C 10 min electrode provides better performance than the rest of electrodes.