Alternative and facile production pathway towards obtaining high surface area PtCo/C intermetallic catalysts for improved PEM fuel cell performance.

ABSTRACT: The design of catalysts with stable and finely dispersed platinum or platinum alloy nanoparticles on the carbon support is key in controlling the performance of proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells. In the present work, an intermetallic PtCo/C catalyst is synthesized via double-passivation galvanic displacement. TEM and XRD confirm a significantly narrowed particle size distribution for the catalyst particles compared to commercial benchmark catalysts (Umicore PtCo/C). Only about 10% of the mass fraction of PtCo particles show a diameter larger than 8 nm, whereas this is up to or even more than 35% for the reference systems. This directly results in a considerable increase in electrochemically active surface area (96 m² g^-1 vs. >70 m² g

SUBMITTER: Heizmann PA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9900476 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature