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Categories: advanced materials, energy

BNL 12-40: Stabilized Platinum/Metal Layered Nanoparticles for Fuel Cell Catalysts

BNL Reference Number: BNL 12-40

Summary

Polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) fuel cells offer exciting possibilities as alternative energy sources. The limiting reaction in these fuel cells is the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) for which platinum (Pt) is the best catalyst. Great strides have been made in reducing the overall amount of Pt required, thus reducing the cost of the fuel cell by coating a base metal nanoparticle core with a monolayer shell of Pt. Nevertheless, under voltage cycling conditions that would typically be found in start-stop driving in a fuel cell electric vehicle, the core can dissolve, leaving the Pt shell vulnerable to dissolution itself. This invention addresses the challenge by stabilizing the core material against dissolution in the extremely acidic environment of a PEM fuel cell. During accelerated testing, the stabilized core-shell nanocatalysts showed minimal (11mV) loss in half-wave potential over 35,000 cycles. The nanocatalysts also showed higher mass and specific activity than commercially available Pt/carbon catalysts.

Have Questions?

For more information about this technology, contact Kimberley Elcess, (631) 344-4151.