title: Quantitative structural assessment of heterogeneous catalysts by electron tomography.
abstract: We present transmission electron microscope (TEM) tomography investigations of ruthenium-based fuel cell catalyst materials as employed in direct methanol fuel cells (DMFC). The digital three-dimensional representation of the samples not only enables detailed studies on number, size, and shape but also on the local orientation of the ruthenium particles to their support and their freely accessible surface area. The shape analysis shows the ruthenium particles deviate significantly from spherical symmetry which increases their surface to volume ratio. The morphological studies help to understand the structure formation mechanisms during the fabrication as well as the high effectiveness of these catalysts in the oxygen reduction reaction at the cathode side of fuel cells.
authors.affiliation: HZB Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin GmbH, Hahn-Meitner-Platz 1, 14109 Berlin, Germany. roman.grothausmann@helmholtz-berlin.de
authors.forename: Roman
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Grothausmann
authors.forename: Gerald
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zehl
authors.forename: Ingo
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Manke
authors.forename: Sebastian
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fiechter
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bogdanoff
authors.forename: Iris
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Dorbandt
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kupsch
authors.forename: Axel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lange
authors.forename: Manfred P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Hentschel
authors.forename: Gerhard
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Schumacher
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Banhart