Highly Durable Platinum based Cathode Electrocatalysts for PEMFC Application using Oxygen and Nitrogen Functional Groups Attached Nanocarbon Supports

Abstract

AbstractThe combined effect of oxygen and nitrogen functional groups on highly crystalline carbon supports like multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) and MWCNT‐few layer graphene hybrid structures (MWCNT+FLG) have been investigated towards oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) performance and carbon corrosion durability in polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) applications. The pristine carbon supports were modified with oxygen and nitrogen functionalities by treating with concentrated mineral acids and subsequent nitrogen plasma treatment assisted with R.F. magnetron sputtering. Pt nanoparticles were dispersed over these chemically modified carbon supports by polyol reduction method. The physicochemical properties of as synthesized electrocatalysts were studied by different techniques such as XRD, TEM, FTIR, Raman and XPS. Electrochemical properties were investigated by cyclic voltammetry and linear sweep voltammetry in 0.1M HClO4 medium. Compared to commercial Pt/C catalysts, durability show ∼30 % enhancement for the as prepared electrocatalysts due to the presence of large amount of pyrrolic nitrogen and highly oriented graphitic nature of the catalyst supports. The ORR performance were comparable with Pt/C (TEC10E30E) in terms of MSA, 259, 270, 252 A g−1 for Pt/C, Pt/N‐f‐MWCNT, Pt/N‐f‐(MWCNT+FLG) respectively.