Synthesis of Pt nanocatalyst with micelle-encapsulated multi-walled carbon nanotubes as support for proton exchange membrane fuel cells

Micelle-encapsulated multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) with sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) were used as catalyst support to deposit platinum nanoparticles. High resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) images reveal the crystalline nature of Pt nanoparticles with a diameter of ∼4 nm on the surface of MWCNTs. A single proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) with total catalyst loading of 0.2 mg Pt cm-2 (anode 0.1 and cathode 0.1 mg Pt cm-2, respectively) has been evaluated at 80 oC with H2 and O2 gases using Nafion-212 electrolyte. Pt/MWCNTs synthesized by using modified SDS-MWCNTs with high temperature treatment (250 oC) showed a peak power density of 950 mW cm-2. Accelerated durability evaluation was carried out by conducting 1500 potential cycles between 0.1 and 1.2 V with 50 mV s-1 scan rate, H2/N2 at 80 oC. The membrane electrode assembly (MEA) with Pt/MWCNTs showed superior performance stability with a power density degradation of only ∼30% compared to commercial Pt/C (70%) after potential cycles.