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Instability of Supported Platinum Nanoparticles in Low-Temperature Fuel Cells

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Abstract

This paper discusses the mechanisms of surface area loss of supported platinum (Pt) electrocatalysts in low-temperature fuel cells. It is argued that submonolayer dissolution of Pt nanoparticles governs the surface area loss at high voltages by increasing the loss of Pt from carbon and coarsening of Pt nanoparticles on carbon.

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Acknowledgments

Some Pt/C and aged MEA samples used in this study were obtained from GM Fuel Cell Activities. The authors thank P. Strasser for providing the TKK Pt/C 28 wt% sample used in this study, and H.A. Gasteiger, R. Makharia, S. Kocha, F. Wagner, D. Myers, J.P. Meyers, R. Darling, and D. Rolison for stimulating discussion. This work is supported by the DOE Hydrogen Initiative program under award number DE-FG02-05ER15728, and made use of the Shared Experimental Facilities supported by the MRSEC Program of the National Science Foundation under award number DMR 02-13282. Y.S.H. acknowledges financial support from GM Fuel Cell Activities and an Air Products Faculty Excellence grant and D.M. gratefully acknowledges a 3M Nontenured Faculty Award.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Electrochemical Energy Laboratory, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA

    Y. Shao-Horn & S. Chen

  2. Electrochemical Energy Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA

    W. C. Sheng

  3. Materials Science and Engineering Program, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA

    P. J. Ferreira

  4. Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53706, USA

    E. F. Holby & D. Morgan

Authors
  1. Y. Shao-Horn
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Correspondence to Y. Shao-Horn.

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Shao-Horn, Y., Sheng, W.C., Chen, S. et al. Instability of Supported Platinum Nanoparticles in Low-Temperature Fuel Cells. Top Catal 46, 285–305 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11244-007-9000-0

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