PEM Fuel Cells based on Carbon-Fiber Electrodes Modified with Platinum Nanoparticles Encapsulated in PAMAM Dendrimers

摘要

This report describes the construction and testing of fuel cells based on carbon-fiber-paper electrodes that were first functionalized in acid media by anodic pretreatment and then modified with platinum nanoparticles encapsulated in hydroxyl-terminated dendrimers (G4OHPt). Scanning the potential of the functionalized carbon-fiber electrodes in a solution containing the dendrimer-encapsulated nanoparticles immobilizes the material on the carbon surface. Previous studies have shown the capacity of the supported nanoparticles to catalyze the oxygen-reduction reaction and suggested some promising approaches that such electrodes offer for the development of more efficient fuel cells. Here we present preliminary results on the performance of experimental fuel cells based on nanoparticle-modified carbon-fiber electrodes.