Rotating Disk Slurry Electrochemically Modified Platinum Carbon Nano-Onion Anode Material for Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cells

Platinum modified carbon nano-onion anode materials (Pt-CNO) with 18.5% metal loading were prepared by the Rotating Disk Slurry Electrode (RoDSE) technique for Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cell applications. The Pt-CNO was characterized and tested in direct ethanol, methanol, and hydrogen polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells at 55°C. Platinum particles showed an average size of (9±1) nm according to XRD data and applying the Scherrer equation. However, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy images showed well-dispersed Pt nanoparticles, clusters, and atoms on the carbon based support material. The 5 cm² fuel cell studies were done with commercial Pt black and Pt-CNO catalysts anode electrode loadings of 4 mg/cm². Pt-CNO exhibited enhanced maximum power density compared to Pt black, when normalized by the Pt anode loading, i.e. 20mg and 3.7mg for Pt black and Pt-CNO, respectively. For ethanol, methanol, and hydrogen the anode Pt mass normalized power densities showed increments of 32%, 66%, and 353%, respectively.