Compositional Evaluation of Coreduced Fe-Pt Metal Acetylacetonates as PEM Fuel Cell Cathode Catalyst

• Platinum iron nanoparticles were produced by solvothermal coreduction of organic Fe and Pt precursor compounds and supported on conventional Vulcan XC 72. Evaluation of oxygen reduction performance reveals a highly active surface with up to 5 times the specific activity of commercial Pt Vulcan measured in O-2-saturated 0.1 M HClO4. A particle size of 5.5 nm for the best performing sample, produced from an initial metal ratio of 1:1, provided 28% higher mass activity than the commercial reference. Membrane electrode assemblies, optimized for both H-2/O-2 and direct formic acid fuel cells, were produced, and the PEM fuel cell cathodic performance displayed results with similar enhancements as its ex situ measured mass activity, although a delamination of the catalyst layer from the membrane could be observed even when employing a hot-pressing procedure during MEA fabrication. Physical characterizations including X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and in situ X-ray diffraction reveal oxidized states of Fe incorporated into the disordered face-centered cubic Pt nanoparticles, supported by composition-dependent morphological changes as observed by transmission electron microscopy. The provided insight into fuel cell performance as well as CO-oxidation attributes are expected to assist in selecting suitable applications and operating conditions for such FePt type nanoparticles.

Subject headings

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Kemi -- Materialkemi (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Chemical Sciences -- Materials Chemistry (hsv//eng)

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Kemi -- Oorganisk kemi (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Chemical Sciences -- Inorganic Chemistry (hsv//eng)

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Fysik -- Den kondenserade materiens fysik (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Physical Sciences -- Condensed Matter Physics (hsv//eng)

Keyword

platinum iron nanoparticles

proton exchange membrane fuel cell

oxygen reduction reaction

solvothermal coreduction

membrane electrode assembly

hydrogen energy

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

art (subject category)