Platinum/Vulcan XC-72R Electrocatalyst Doped with Melamine for Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cells

Abstract

Polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells are the common type of fuel cells for stationary and portable applications. The main purpose of fuel cell research and development studies is to develop low-cost, high-performance, and durable materials. For this purpose, higher performance is targeted by reducing the cost of polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell electrocatalysts. The use of carbon black in polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells has been quite high in recent years. In this study, first platinum on carbon black electrocatalyst was synthesized via microwave irradiation method and then melamine as nitrogen source at a mass ratio of (1:1) for melamine:electrocatalyst was prepared. Examining the physicochemical and electrochemical characterizations of the electrocatalyst is very important for understanding their performance, durability, and material properties. Therefore, the synthesized electrocatalyst was characterized by using elemental analysis, inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry and transmission electron microscope analysis. In addition, the fuel cell performance of the electrocatalyst was tested in a single fuel cell test hardware.