Study of Carbon Nanotube-Supported Platinum Nanocatalyst Fabricated with Sodium Formate Reducing Agent in Ethylene Glycol Suspension

A simple method to prepare a durable, low platinum-loading catalyst layer for the cathode in a proton exchange membrane fuel cell is tested and described. Multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) are functionalized with citric acid and then suspended in ethylene glycol. Here, platinum nanoparticles (~4 nm) are loaded onto the surface of the MWCNTs after hexachloroplatinic acid is reduced by aqueous sodium formate. A peak performance of 813 mW⋅cm−2 was achieved with a total membrane electrode assembly (MEA) platinum catalyst loading of 0.2 mg⋅cm−2 (0.1 mg⋅cm−2 anode/0.1 mg⋅cm−2 cathode), in H2/O2 (ambient pressure), at 80°C, with a Nafion 212 membrane. Peak power density only decreased by 23% after 1500 potentials cycles (ranged from 0.1 to 1.2 V, and vice versa, with a 50 mV/s scan rate, flowing H2/N2 at 80°C). Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images show the morphology and distribution of the platinum nanoparticles loaded onto the surface of the MWCNTs.