Catalyst supports for polymer electrolyte fuel cells.
A major challenge in obtaining long-term durability in fuel cells is to discover catalyst supports that do not corrode, or corrode much more slowly than the current carbon blacks used in today's polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells. Such materials must be sufficiently stable at low pH (acidic conditions) and high potential, in contact with the polymer membrane and under exposure to hydrogen gas and oxygen at temperatures up to perhaps 120 degrees C. Here, we report the initial discovery of a promising class of doped oxide materials for this purpose: Ti(1-x)M(x)O(2), where M=a variety of transition metals. Specifically, we show that Ti(0.7)W(0.3)O(2) is electrochemically inert over the appropriate potential range. Although the process is not yet optimized, when Pt nanoparticles are deposited on this oxide, electrochemical experiments show that hydrogen is oxidized and oxygen reduced at rates comparable to those seen using a commercial Pt on carbon black support.
Subban
Chinmayee
C
Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Cornell University, , Ithaca, NY 14853, USA.
Zhou
Qin
Q
Leonard
Brian
B
Ranjan
Chinmoy
C
Edvenson
Heather M
HM
Disalvo
F J
FJ
Munie
Semeret
S
Hunting
Janet
J
D056804:Biofuels; D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources; D011211:Electric Power Supplies; D004560:Electricity; D004563:Electrochemistry / Q000379:methods; D004566:Electrodes; D004736:Energy-Generating Resources; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D008422:Materials Testing; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry; D036103:Nanotechnology / Q000379:methods; D010984:Platinum / Q000737:chemistry; D011108:Polymers / Q000737:chemistry*; D014025:Titanium / Q000737:chemistry; D014961:X-Ray Diffraction
D056804:Biofuels; D011108:Polymers; C009495:titanium dioxide; D010984:Platinum; D014025:Titanium