title: Direct observation of nanoscale Pt electrode agglomeration at the triple phase boundary.
abstract: Nanoporous platinum electrode thin films were delaminated from yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) substrates via double cantilever beam delamination to reveal the structure located at the interface between electrode and electrolyte. The thermally driven morphological evolution between the electrode top surface and the substrate contact interface of agglomerated nanoporous platinum thin films were compared. We found the temperature required for significant agglomeration to occur was approximately 100 °C higher at the electrolyte contact interface side than at the top surface side. Judging the reaction active site from the electrode top surface could be inaccurate because higher resistance of thermal agglomeration at the interface could retain the reaction active site during fuel cell operation.
authors.affiliation: §Energy Research Institute @ NTU, Interdisciplinary Graduate School, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Avenue 639798, Singapore.
authors.forename: Chen-Chiang
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.affiliation: ⊥Department of Mechanical Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, 291 Daehak-ro Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 305-701, South Korea.
authors.forename: Sanwi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Jong Dae
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Baek
authors.forename: Yong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Pei-Chen
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Su
authors.affiliation: ⊥Department of Mechanical Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, 291 Daehak-ro Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 305-701, South Korea.
authors.forename: Taek-Soo
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: Kim
keywords: fuel cell; layer delamination; nanoporous Pt electrode agglomeration; triple phase boundary (TPB); yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ)