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

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. © 2015, Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht