ePrints@IIScePrints@IISc Home | About | Browse | Latest Additions | Advanced Search | Contact | Help

A Durable Graphitic-Carbon Support for Pt and Pt3Co Cathode Catalysts in Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cells

Selvaganesh, Vinod S and Sridhar, P and Pitchumani, S and Shukla, AK (2013) A Durable Graphitic-Carbon Support for Pt and Pt3Co Cathode Catalysts in Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cells. In: JOURNAL OF THE ELECTROCHEMICAL SOCIETY, 160 (1). F49-F59.

[img] PDF
Jol_Ele_Soc_160-1_f49_2013.pdf - Published Version
Restricted to Registered users only

Download (1MB) | Request a copy
Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1149/2.051301jes

Abstract

The high efficiency of fuel-cell-powered electric vehicles makes them a potentially viable option for future transportation. Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cells (PEFCs) are most promising among various fuel cells for electric traction due to their quick start-up and low-temperature operation. In recent years, the performance of PEFCs has reached the acceptable level both for automotive and stationary applications and efforts are now being expended in increasing their durability, which remains a major concern in their commercialization. To make PEFCs meet automotive targets an understanding of the factors affecting the stability of carbon support and platinum catalyst is critical. Alloying platinum (Pt) with first-row transition metals such as cobalt (Co) is reported to facilitate both higher degree of crystallinity and enhanced activity in relation to pristine Pt. But a major challenge for the application of Pt-transition metal alloys in PEFCs is to improve the stability of these binary catalysts. Dissolution of the non-precious metal in the acidic environment could alleviate the activity of the catalysts and hence cell performance. The use of graphitic carbon as cathode-catalyst support enhances the long-term stability of Pt and its alloys in relation to non-graphitic carbon as the former exhibits higher resistance to carbon corrosion in relation to the latter in PEFC cathodes during accelerated-stress test (AST). Changes in electrochemical surface area (ESA), cell performance and charge-transfer resistance are monitored during AST through cyclic voltammetry, cell polarization and impedance measurements, respectively. Studies on catalytic electrodes with X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy reflect that graphitic carbon-support resists carbon corrosion and helps mitigating aggregation of Pt and Pt3Co catalyst particles. (C) 2012 The Electrochemical Society. DOI: 10.1149/2.051301jes] All rights reserved.

Item Type: Journal Article
Publication: JOURNAL OF THE ELECTROCHEMICAL SOCIETY
Publisher: ELECTROCHEMICAL SOC INC
Additional Information: Copyright for this article belongs to ELECTROCHEMICAL SOC INC,USA
Department/Centre: Division of Chemical Sciences > Solid State & Structural Chemistry Unit
Date Deposited: 20 Feb 2013 08:48
Last Modified: 20 Feb 2013 08:48
URI: http://eprints.iisc.ac.in/id/eprint/45826

Actions (login required)

View Item View Item