Porosity Engineering of Pt-Loaded Nb-SnO2 Catalyst Layers in Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cells

Hirano Tomoyuki

Tsuboi Takama

Ho Thi Thanh Nguyen

Tanabe Eishi

Takano Aoi

Kataoka Mikihiro

Ogi Takashi

ACS Applied Energy Materials

Recently, the emphasis on hydrogen-fuel utilization technologies─particularly polymer–electrolyte fuel cells (PEFCs)─has recently shifted from light-duty to heavy-duty vehicles. There is consequently an urgent need to develop a catalyst with excellent durability. In this study, we have endeavored to improve the power-generating performance of PEFCs by using high-durability Nb–SnO2 (NTO) nanoparticles and by controlling the porosity of the catalyst layer. We tuned the fused-aggregate network structure of the NTO nanoparticles by annealing them at 1000 or 1200 °C. This treatment promoted the development of aggregated structures of the NTO nanoparticles, which resulted in an increase in the porosity of the catalyst layer. In these catalysts, the maximum current density increased with increasing porosity. The gas-diffusion resistance calculated from the current–voltage (I–V) characteristics decreased from 148 m/s for NTO nanoparticles before annealing, to 113 m/s after annealing at 1000 °C, and to 102 m/s after annealing at 1200 °C. This study thus demonstrates that high-performance catalysts with high durability for PEFCs can be achieved by precisely engineering the porosity of the catalyst layer.

Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cell

Nb-doped SnO2

Porosity

Oxide Support

Flame Synthesis

eng

American Chemical Society

This document is the Accepted Manuscript version of a Published Work that appeared in final form in ACS Applied Energy Materials, copyright © American Chemical Society after peer review and technical editing by the publisher. To access the final edited and published work see https://doi.org/10.1021/acsaem.3c02165

This is not the published version. Please cite only the published version.

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[DOI] https://doi.org/10.1021/acsaem.3c02165 isVersionOf

日本学術振興会

Japan Society for the Promotion of Science

[Crossref Funder] https://doi.org/10.13039/501100001691

規則性マクロポーラス酸化物担体を用いた固体高分子形燃料電池の高耐久・高性能化

規則性マクロポーラス酸化物担体を用いた固体高分子形燃料電池の高耐久・高性能化

22K20482

日本学術振興会

Japan Society for the Promotion of Science

[Crossref Funder] https://doi.org/10.13039/501100001691

微粒子ナノ構造化技術による燃料電池触媒層の細孔ネットワークエンジニアリング

Pore Network Engineering of Fuel Cell Catalyst Layers by Particle Nanostructuring Technology

23K13590

日本学術振興会

Japan Society for the Promotion of Science

[Crossref Funder] https://doi.org/10.13039/501100001691

高次構造ポーラス微粒子創製のプロセスサイエンスの構築と物質移動特性の解明

Development of process science for the creation of porous particles with highly-ordered structure and elucidation of mass transfer characteristics

23H01745