Development of Novel Hierarchically Microporous-Mesoporous Carbon and Carbon Nanospheres Based Materials and PEMFC Single Cells

• Published in: ECS transactions 2016-01, Vol.75 (14), p.777-788
• Main Authors: Lust, Enn, Sepp, Silver, Nerut, Jaak, Vaarmets, Kersti, Kanarbik, Rait, Tallo, Indrek, Jäger, Rutha, Härk, Eneli, Ereth Kasatkin, Piia, Taleb, Masoud
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 1938-5862; 1938-6737
• DOI: 10.1149/07514.0777ecst

Microporous-mesoporous carbon materials synthesized from molybdenum and tungsten carbides by high-temperature chlorination method were used as supports for catalysts activated with platinum nanoclusters. The characteristics obtained have been compared with those for carbon material synthesized from D-glucose by hydrothermal carbonization followed by additional chemical activation with CO2. The scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, high resolution transmission electron microscopy and low temperature N2 and Ar as well as CO2 adsorption methods were used to characterize the structure of the materials prepared. The materials exhibited high specific surface area and remarkable differences in their microporous-mesoporous structure. Platinum has been deposited onto the porous carbon materials in the form of nanoparticles or agglomerates of nanoparticles. All catalysts (studied by cyclic voltammetry and rotating disc electrode methods) showed high activity towards oxygen reduction and hydrogen adsorption from 0.1 M KOH and 0.5 M H2SO4 solutions.