Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-rdxmf Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-24T07:57:24.624Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Incorporation of Platinum and Gold Partially Reduced Graphene Oxide into Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cells for Increased Output Power and Carbon Monoxide Tolerance

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 April 2016

Rebecca Isseroff ,
Lee Blackburn ,
Jaymo Kang ,
Hongfei Li ,
Molly Gentleman  and
Miriam Rafailovich
Rebecca Isseroff*
Affiliation:
Lawrence High School, Cedarhurst, NY, USA. Dept. of Materials Science and Engineering, SUNY Stony Brook, Stony Brook, NY, USA.
Lee Blackburn
Affiliation:
Lawrence High School, Cedarhurst, NY, USA.
Jaymo Kang
Affiliation:
University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
Hongfei Li
Affiliation:
Dept. of Materials Science and Engineering, SUNY Stony Brook, Stony Brook, NY, USA.
Molly Gentleman
Affiliation:
Dept. of Materials Science and Engineering, SUNY Stony Brook, Stony Brook, NY, USA.
Miriam Rafailovich
Affiliation:
Dept. of Materials Science and Engineering, SUNY Stony Brook, Stony Brook, NY, USA.
*
*(Email: [email protected])
Get access

Abstract

The Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cells (PEMFCs) platinum catalyst’s susceptibility to poisoning by carbon monoxide (CO) reduces its output power. In an effort to diminish poisoning, gold and platinum nanoparticles were incorporated onto partially reduced graphene oxide (Au/Pt-prGO) sheets to reduce both nanoparticle aggregation and the amount of precious metal needed. Applying this material onto the electrodes and Nafion membrane of a PEMFC was hypothesized to increase CO tolerance as well as power output.

Aliquots of graphene oxide (GO) were functionalized with platinum and/or gold nanoparticles using a simple desktop synthesis at room temperature. Partial reduction with NaBH4 maintained hydrophilic solubility. Test solutions applied to electrodes and to electrodes + Nafion membrane were first tested in a PEM fuel cell with a pure H2 gas feed and then repeated with a H2 gas feed containing 1000 ppm of CO. Test arrangements averaged doubling the output power of the poisoned control, with the most effective yielding an output power ∼250% that of the poisoned control. Additionally, each system’s poisoned output power (PP) was compared to its highest possible output power (PM), with the most effective setup showing no reduction in output power, even with a H2 gas feed containing 1000 ppm of CO. Thus, this offers promise of a simple, cost-effective method of both improving PEMFC power output while reducing or even eliminating CO poisoning at room temperature.

Keywords

nanostructuresurface reactionthin film
Type
Articles
Information
MRS Advances , Volume 1 , Issue 20: Nanomaterials and Synthesis , 2016 , pp. 1477 - 1486
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2016 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Baschuk, J. J. and Li, X. (2001), “Carbon monoxide poisoning of proton exchange membrane fuel cells”. Int. J. Energy Res., 25: 695–713.Google Scholar
Grashoff, G. J., Pilkington, C. E., and Corti, C. W.. “The Purification of Hydrogen.” Platinum Metals 1983, 27, (4) 157–69.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jalani, N. H. “Development of Nanocomposite Polymer Electrolyte Membranes for Higher Temperature PEM Fuel Cells.” Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Dissertation (2006): 20–47.Google Scholar
Li, L., Gao, Y., Li, H., Zhao, Y., Pei, Y., Chen, Z., Zeng, X. C. “CO Oxidation on TiO2 (110) Supported Subnanometer Gold Clusters: Size and Shape Effects” J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2013, 135 (51), pp 19336–19346 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Haruta, M. “Nanoparticulate Gold Catalysts for Low-Temperature CO Oxidation”, Journal of New Materials for Electrochemical Systems 7, 163–172 (2004)Google Scholar
Kim, H., Henkelman, G. “CO Oxidation at the Interface of Au Nanoclusters and the Stepped CeO2(111) Surface by the Mars−van Krevelen Mechanism”, J. Phys. Chem. Lett. 2013, 4, 216−221 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Green, I., Tang, W., Neurock, M., Yates, J., “Spectroscopic Observation of Dual Catalytic Sites During Oxidation of CO on a Au/TiO2 Catalyst”, Science 333, 736 (2011)Google Scholar
Hsieh, Y.-C. Zhang, Y., Su, D., Volkov, V., Si, R., Wu, L, Zhu, Y., An, W., Liu, P., He, P, Ye, S., Adzic, R., Wang, J. “Ordered bilayer ruthenium–platinum core-shell nanoparticles as carbon monoxide-tolerant fuel cell catalysts”. Nat. Commun. 4:2466 doi: 10.1038/ncomms3466 (2013)CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Isaifan, R.J., Ntais, S., Baranova, E. A., “Particle size effect on catalytic activity of carbon-supported Pt nanoparticles for complete ethylene oxidation”, Applied Catalysis A: General, Volumes 464–465, 15 August 2013, Pages 87–94 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tang, Y., Yang, Z., Dai, X. “Preventing the CO poisoning on Pt nanocatalyst using appropriate substrate: A first-principles study” Journal of Nanoparticle Research, 05/2012; 14(5). DOI: 10.1007/s11051-012-0844-2 Google Scholar
Hummers, W. S. Jr., , R. E. (1958). “Preparation of Graphitic Oxide”. J. Am. Chem. Soc, 1339–1339Google Scholar
Oetjen, H.-F. Schmidt, V. M. Stimming, U. and Trila, F. “Performance Data of a Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell Using H2/CO as Fuel Gas”, J. Electrochem. Soc. (1996) volume 143, issue 12, 3838–3842 Google Scholar