SiC nanocrystals as Pt catalyst supports for fuel cell applications

TY - JOUR

T1 - SiC nanocrystals as Pt catalyst supports for fuel cell applications

AU - Dhiman, Rajnish

AU - Morgen, Per

AU - Skou, E.M.

AU - Andersen, S.M.

AU - Johnson, E.

PY - 2013/1/1

Y1 - 2013/1/1

N2 - A robust catalyst support is pivotal to Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells (PEMFCs) to overcome challenges such as catalyst support corrosion, low catalyst utilization and overall capital cost. SiC is a promising candidate material which could be applied as a catalyst support in PEMFCs. SiC nanocrystals are here synthesized using nano-porous carbon black (Vulcan XC-72) as a template using two different reactions, which result in particle sizes in the ranges of 50-150 nm (SiC-SPR) and 25-35 nm (SiC-NS). Pt nano-catalysts of size 5-8 nm and 4-5 nm have successfully been uniformly deposited on the nanocrystals of SiC-SPR and SiC-NS by the polyol method. The SiC substrates are subjected to an acid treatment to introduce the surface groups, which help to anchor the Pt nano-catalysts. These SiC based catalysts have been found to have a higher electrochemical activity than commercially available Vulcan based catalysts (BASF & HISPEC). These promising results signal a new era of SiC based catalysts for fuel cell applications.

AB - A robust catalyst support is pivotal to Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells (PEMFCs) to overcome challenges such as catalyst support corrosion, low catalyst utilization and overall capital cost. SiC is a promising candidate material which could be applied as a catalyst support in PEMFCs. SiC nanocrystals are here synthesized using nano-porous carbon black (Vulcan XC-72) as a template using two different reactions, which result in particle sizes in the ranges of 50-150 nm (SiC-SPR) and 25-35 nm (SiC-NS). Pt nano-catalysts of size 5-8 nm and 4-5 nm have successfully been uniformly deposited on the nanocrystals of SiC-SPR and SiC-NS by the polyol method. The SiC substrates are subjected to an acid treatment to introduce the surface groups, which help to anchor the Pt nano-catalysts. These SiC based catalysts have been found to have a higher electrochemical activity than commercially available Vulcan based catalysts (BASF & HISPEC). These promising results signal a new era of SiC based catalysts for fuel cell applications.

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84876892613&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1039/c3ta10238f

DO - 10.1039/c3ta10238f

M3 - Journal article

AN - SCOPUS:84876892613

SN - 0959-9428

VL - 1

SP - 6030

EP - 6036

JO - Journal of Materials Chemistry

JF - Journal of Materials Chemistry

IS - 19

ER -