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The 3D Nanoscale Evolution of Platinum–Niobium Oxide Fuel Cell Catalysts via Identical Location Electron Tomography
Author(s) -
Rossouw David,
Chinchilla Lidia,
Kremliakova Natalia,
Botton Gianluigi A.
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
particle and particle systems characterization
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.877
H-Index - 56
eISSN - 1521-4117
pISSN - 0934-0866
DOI - 10.1002/ppsc.201700051
Subject(s) - platinum , dissolution , oxide , materials science , catalysis , niobium oxide , corrosion , electrolyte , carbon fibers , proton exchange membrane fuel cell , chemical engineering , niobium , inorganic chemistry , metallurgy , composite material , chemistry , electrode , organic chemistry , composite number , engineering
Current state‐of‐the‐art catalysts for polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells, comprised of platinum nanoparticles on a high surface area carbon support, are susceptible to platinum dissolution and carbon support corrosion during operation. The use of transition metal oxides in the support material is proposed to stabilize the catalyst material by minimizing platinum dissolution and carbon corrosion. Here, the 3D structural changes are tracked for a hybrid Pt–Nb oxide on carbon catalyst before and after potential cycling utilizing identical location electron tomography. Pt dissolution is observed to varying degrees in both high and low Nb oxide content structures and appreciable carbon support corrosion in the high Nb oxide content structure but not in the low Nb oxide structure.