High performance of electroless-plated platinum electrode for electrochemical hydrogen pumps using strontium-zirconate-based proton conductors

The performance of an electroless-plated platinum electrode for electrochemical hydrogen pumps was investigated using SrZr0.9Y0.1O3−α (10Y-SZO) and SrZr0.5Ce0.4Y0.1O3−α (10Y-SZCO) as proton-conducting electrolytes. The plated electrodes using these electrolytes showed quite low overpotentials, resulting in high performance of the hydrogen pumps. The high electrode performance is interpreted from the viewpoint of the three-phase boundary (TPB) length: the plated electrode has a larger TPB length per unit area than that of the pasted electrode. The difference between 10Y-SZO and 10Y-SZCO in ability to match with platinum electrodes is also discussed, and the possibility that the TPB width of 10Y-SZCO with platinum is larger than that of 10Y-SZO is suggested.