ISSN:
1572-8838
Source:
Springer Online Journal Archives 1860-2000
Topics:
Chemistry and Pharmacology
,
Electrical Engineering, Measurement and Control Technology
Notes:
Abstract This paper describes the results of transmission electron microscopic, scanning electron microscopic and/or Rutherford backscattering spectroscopic analyses of platinum electrocatalysts supported on carbon, and of low catalyst loading gas-diffusion electrodes used in proton-exchange-membrane (PEM) fuel cells. We looked for correlations between the performance of PEM fuel cells and the morphology of low-catalyst-loading electrodes, taking into account the thickness of the catalyst layers, the crystallite sizes of the platinum electrocatalyst supported on carbon and the increased Pt catalyst content near the front of the electrodes. We reached the conclusion that the use of electrodes with thin catalyst layers (made by using platinum on carbon electrocatalysts with a high Pt/C weight ratio) and with more platinum localized near the front surface had the effect of diminishing the overpotentials in PEM fuel cells.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF01024847
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