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Carbon-supported Pt-RuS2 nanocomposite as hydrogen oxidation reaction catalysts for fuel cells

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Abstract

A carbon-supported Pt-RuS2 nanocomposite (Pt-RuS2/C) that contained extremely small amount of Pt compared with commercial Pt/C was prepared by the deposition of Pt nanoparticles (NPs) onto carbon-supported RuS2 NPs. This Pt-RuS2/C NP was demonstrated to be an electrocatalyst for hydrogen oxidation reaction catalyst for polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells using membrane electrode assembly in a single-cell performance test and CO-stripping measurements. The results of structural analysis on prepared nanocomposite showed highly dispersed Pt (ca. 2.5 nm in diameter) and RuS2 (ca. 5.5 nm in diameter) NPs on carbon particles. Pt existed in an unalloyed phase in Pt-RuS2/C, and RuS2 NPs were in physical contact with Pt NPs. Although the amount of Pt in the Pt-RuS2/C NP was only 21.7 % of commercial Pt/C, the Pt-RuS2/C exhibited comparable single-cell performance to commercial Pt/C as an anode electrocatalyst, owing to the promoting effect of RuS2 on the reactivity of Pt.

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Acknowledgments

Y.-E. Sung acknowledges the Institute for Basic Science (IBS) in Korea. This work was supported by Project Code IBS-R006-G1 in Korea. Y.-H. Cho acknowledges financial support from the Basic Science Research Program (2013R1A1A2061636) through the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF), which is funded by the Ministry of Education. And this work was supported by the NRF Grant funded by the Korean Government (MSIP) (No. 2012R1A1A1041991).

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    Authors and Affiliations

    1. Mineral Resources Research Division, Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources, Yuseong-Gu, Daejeon, 305-350, South Korea

      In-Su Park

    2. Department of Science, Republic of Korea Naval Academy, Jinhae-gu, Changwon, 646-797, South Korea

      Ok-Hee Kim

    3. Department of Chemical Engineering, Kangwon National University, Samcheok, 245-711, South Korea

      Jung Won Kim & Yong-Hun Cho

    4. Center for Nanoparticle Research, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Seoul, 151-742, South Korea

      Yung-Eun Sung

    5. School of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Seoul National University (SNU), Seoul, 151-744, South Korea

      Yung-Eun Sung

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    1. In-Su Park
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    2. Ok-Hee Kim
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    3. Jung Won Kim
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    4. Yong-Hun Cho
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    Correspondence to Yong-Hun Cho or Yung-Eun Sung.

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    In-Su Park and Ok-Hee Kim have contributed equally to this work.

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    Park, IS., Kim, OH., Kim, J.W. et al. Carbon-supported Pt-RuS2 nanocomposite as hydrogen oxidation reaction catalysts for fuel cells. J Appl Electrochem 46, 77–83 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10800-015-0899-8

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    • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10800-015-0899-8

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