Alternative Electrocatalyst Support for PEFCs: SnO2-supported carbon-free electrocatalysts

摘要

Carbon black is commonly used as an electrocatalyst support material in polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEFCs). However, during the fuel cell start-stop cycles, carbon support is known to be oxidized electrochemically. In the present study, after examining the themochemical stability of various materials under the typical PEFC condition, doped-SnO2 has been selected as an alternative non-carbon support material, and the durability against voltage cycling up to a higher potential has been examined using both electrocatalyst powder samples and membrane-electrode-assemblies (MEAs), to verify the 60,000-cycle durability corresponding to the life time of fuel cell vehicles.