Progress on Platinum-Based Catalyst Layer Materials for H-PEMFC

Abstract

The constant increase in energy demand and related environmental issues have made fuel cells an attractive technology as an alternative to conventional energy technologies. Like any technology, fuel cells face drawbacks that scientific society has been focused on to improve and optimize the overall technology. Thus, the cost is the main inhibitor for this technology due to the significantly high cost of the materials used in catalyst layers. The current discussion mainly focuses on the fundamental electrochemical half-cell reaction of hydrogen oxidation reaction (HOR) and oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) that are taking place in the catalyst layers consisting of Platinum-based and Platinum-non noble metals. For this purpose, studies from the literature are presented and analyzed by highlighting and comparing the variations on the catalytic activity within the experimental catalyst layers and the conventional ones. Furthermore, an economic analysis of the main platinum group metals (PGMs) such as Platinum, Palladium and Ruthenium is introduced by presenting the economic trends for the last decade.