Electrochemical characterisation of platinum catalysts on carbon supports for fuel cell applications

Abstract

<span style="font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%; font-family:" calibri","sans-serif";mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-fareast-font-family:="" "dejavu="" sans";mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:"times="" new="" roman";="" color:#00000a;mso-ansi-language:en-us;mso-fareast-language:en-us;mso-bidi-language:="" ar-sa"="">Platinum catalysts have been prepared on carbon supports like activated carbon and fuel cell grade furnace black Vulcan XC-72 by reduction of H₂PtCl₆ with 5 wt% boiling sodium formate solution. The electrochemical surface area (ESA) values have been determined from the charge in-volved in the oxidation of adsorbed hydrogen in the cyclic voltammograms in 1.0 M H₂SO₄ solution, assuming a value of 210 µC/cm² for a monolayer coverage and compared with the values, determined by the XRD technique. ESA value of 101.0 m²/g has been obtained for a 2 wt% Pt catalyst on carbon, which decreased to a value of 77.6 m²/g when the Pt loading is increased to 10 wt%. The calculated Crystallite size values have also been found to be in good agreement with the values determined by XRD technique for the above catalysts.</span>