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The Native Oxide on Titanium Metal as a Conductive Model Substrate for Oxygen Reduction Reaction Studies

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Abstract

Very thin Pt layers on inexpensive substrates are promising oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) catalysts for polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEFCs). TiOx is considered a suitable substrate but shows problems with conductivity, thus masking chemical effects by semiconductor effects (mismatch in energy states hindering electron transport). The native oxide on metallic Ti (TiOx/Ti) has been used as a novel and promising model substrate for ORR studies eliminating semiconductor effects. A high-coverage “particle” layer with high specific ORR activity was formed via electrodeposition from Ar-saturated solution. While high specific activities could be demonstrated, the concept could not be enhanced to high mass activities by limiting the Pt deposition amount. The approach to quench Pt deposition by introducing CO failed due to its adsorption to the TiOx/Ti substrate before metal deposition and thus the prevention of layer formation. A similar approach for the Pt/Au codeposition was also unsuccessful manifesting the TiOx/Ti-CO incompatibility even further.

CO, blessing, and curse: Pt deposition from Ar-saturated solution leads to a “film”-like deposit with high specific ORR activity. In contrast, the corresponding CO-saturated solution leads to deposition termination but a smooth monolayer is not formed due to interaction of CO with the TiOx/Ti substrate and, consequently, very low ORR activity is obtained.

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  1. Sebastian Proch

    Present address: Sandvik Materials Technology, R&D Center, Sandviken, Sweden

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  1. Toyota Central R&D Labs., Inc., 41-1, Yokomichi, Nagakute, Aichi, 480-1192, Japan

    Sebastian Proch, Shuhei Yoshino, Naoko Takahashi, Juntaro Seki, Satoru Kosaka, Kensaku Kodama & Yu Morimoto

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Proch, S., Yoshino, S., Takahashi, N. et al. The Native Oxide on Titanium Metal as a Conductive Model Substrate for Oxygen Reduction Reaction Studies. Electrocatalysis 9, 608–622 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12678-018-0465-3

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