Durability Study of Pt ∕ C and Pt ∕ CNTs Catalysts under Simulated PEM Fuel Cell Conditions

The durability of carbon black supported Pt (Pt/C) and multiwalled carbon nanotubes supported Pt (Pt/CNTs) catalysts for potential application in polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells are investigated using an accelerated durability test. The electrochemical surface area of Pt/C degrades by 49.8% during the 192-h test time, compared with 26.1% for Pt/CNTs, which is due to Pt particle growth and Pt loss from the support in the form of Pt ions and Pt particles. Transmission electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction analysis show that Pt particles in Pt/CNTs present higher sintering resistance. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy characterization indicates that CNTs in Pt/CNTs are more resistant to electrochemical oxidation than carbon black in Pt/C. It can be concluded that Pt/CNTs are more stable under electrochemical operation, which can be attributed to specific interaction between Pt and the support and the higher resistance of the support to electrochemical oxidation.

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