PtRu catalyst electrodeposited on carbon carbons of high specific surface area for DMFCs

Abstract

Direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs) are receiving much attention as power sources for automotive applications and these FCs compared to the polymer membrane fuel cells (PMEFCs) fed by hydrogen present some advantages such as an easier fuel feeding and storage but also some disadvantages. One disadvantage is that DMFCs require optimized electrocatalysts also at the negative electrode for methanol oxidation. Carbon supported PtRu catalysts are recognized as the most promising and optimized Pt-to- Ru atomic ratio, nanometric dimensions of the particles and their uniform distribution on carbon support enhance the catalytic activity towards the methanol oxidation. To optimize the mass- specific activity of carbon supported PtRu catalysts we focused our research activity on PtRu catalysts electrodeposited on carbon-Nafion supports prepared with different carbons of high specific surface area [1,2]. The results of the electrochemical, structural and morphological characterisations of such supported PtRu catalysts are presented in this contribution to evidence how carbon-Nafion supports of different accessible surface area, different electrodeposition conditions, and different Pt-to-C mass ratio, affect the mass- specific activity of the PtRu catalysts for methanol oxidation in DMFC