title: A highly durable fuel cell electrocatalyst based on double-polymer-coated carbon nanotubes.
abstract: Driven by the demand for the commercialization of fuel cell (FC) technology, we describe the design and fabrication of a highly durable FC electrocatalyst based on double-polymer-coated carbon nanotubes for use in polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells. The fabricated electrocatalyst is composed of Pt-deposited polybenzimidazole-coated carbon nanotubes, which are further coated with Nafion. By using this electrocatalyst, a high FC performance with a power density of 375 mW/cm(2) (at 70 ˚C, 50% relative humidity using air (cathode)/H2(anode)) was obtained, and a remarkable durability of 500,000 accelerated potential cycles was recorded with only a 5% loss of the initial FC potential and 20% loss of the maximum power density, which were far superior properties compared to those of the membrane electrode assembly prepared using carbon black in place of the carbon nanotubes. The present study indicates that the prepared highly durable fuel cell electrocatalyst is a promising material for the next generation of PEMFCs.
authors.affiliation: International Institute for Carbon Neutral Energy Research (WPI-I2CNER), Kyushu University, 744 Motooka, Nishi-ku, Fukuoka 819-0395 (Japan).|Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Tanta University, Tanta 31527 (Egypt).
authors.forename: Mohamed R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Berber
authors.affiliation: International Institute for Carbon Neutral Energy Research (WPI-I2CNER), Kyushu University, 744 Motooka, Nishi-ku, Fukuoka 819-0395 (Japan).|Department of Natural resources and Agricultural Engineering, Faculty of Agriculture, Damanhour University, Damanhour 22516 (Egypt).
authors.forename: Inas H
authors.initials: IH
authors.lastname: Hafez
authors.affiliation: International Institute for Carbon Neutral Energy Research (WPI-I2CNER), Kyushu University, 744 Motooka, Nishi-ku, Fukuoka 819-0395 (Japan).|Department of Applied Chemistry, Graduate School of Engineering, Kyushu University, 744 Motooka, Nishi-ku, Fukuoka 819-0395 (Japan).
authors.forename: Tsuyohiko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fujigaya
authors.affiliation: International Institute for Carbon Neutral Energy Research (WPI-I2CNER), Kyushu University, 744 Motooka, Nishi-ku, Fukuoka 819-0395 (Japan).|Department of Applied Chemistry, Graduate School of Engineering, Kyushu University, 744 Motooka, Nishi-ku, Fukuoka 819-0395 (Japan).|JST-CREST, 5 Sanbancho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, 102-0075 (Japan).
authors.forename: Naotoshi
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Nakashima