Document Type

Article

Subject Area(s)

Chemical Engineering

Abstract

A procedure was developed to synthesize a platinum–cobalt (Pt–Co) alloy electrocatalyst for oxygen reduction using Co/C composite as a support. The Pt–Co/C catalysts were synthesized through: (i) chemical oxidation of carbon black, (ii) Co deposition on the oxidized carbon using a chelation method, (iii) chemical treatment in an acidic medium to remove excess of Co on the carbon surface, (iv) Pt deposition onto the Co/C support, and (v) postheat treatment to form the Pt–Co alloy catalyst. The synthesized Pt–Co/C catalyst showed improved activity and long-term stability in polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) fuel cells when compared with a conventional Pt–Co/C catalyst. The electron probe microanalysis combined with scanning electron microscopy indicated that the Co content in the alloy catalyst remains stable without poisoning of the electrolyte membrane during long-term operation.

Rights

© The Electrochemical Society, Inc. 2007. All rights reserved. Except as provided under U.S. copyright law, this work may not be reproduced, resold, distributed, or modified without the express permission of The Electrochemical Society (ECS). The archival version of this work was published in Electrochemical and Solid-State Letters.

http://www.electrochem.org/

Publisher's link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1149/1.2777009

DOI: 10.1149/1.2777009

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