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Progress in the synthesis of carbon nanotube- and nanofiber-supported Pt electrocatalysts for PEM fuel cell catalysis

  • Reviews in Applied Electrochemistry Number 60
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Abstract

This paper reviews the literature on the synthesis of carbon nanotube- and nanofiber-supported Pt electrocatalysts for proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell catalyst loading reduction through the improvement of catalyst utilization and activity, especially focusing on cathode nano-electrocatalyst preparation methods. The features of each synthetic method were also discussed based on the morphology of the synthesized catalysts. It is clear that synthesis methods play an important role in catalyst morphology, Pt utilization and catalytic activity. Though some remarkable progress has been made in nanotube- and nanofiber-supported Pt catalyst preparation techniques, the real breakthroughs have not yet been made in terms of cost-effectiveness, catalytic activity, durability and chemical/electrochemical stability. In order to make such electrocatalysts commercially feasible, cost-effective and innovative, catalyst synthesis methods are needed for Pt loading reduction and performance optimization.

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Acknowledgements

We wish to thank the Institute for Fuel Cell Innovation, National Research Council Canada (NRC_IFCI) for its financial support. Discussions with Dr. Zhong-Sheng Liu and Dr. Dave Ghosh are deeply appreciated.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute for Fuel Cell Innovation, National Research Council Canada, Vancouver, BC, Canada, V6T 1W5

    Kunchan Lee, Jiujun Zhang, Haijiang Wang & David P. Wilkinson

  2. Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada, V6T 1Z4

    David P. Wilkinson

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  1. Kunchan Lee
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  2. Jiujun Zhang
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  4. David P. Wilkinson
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Correspondence to Jiujun Zhang.

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Lee, K., Zhang, J., Wang, H. et al. Progress in the synthesis of carbon nanotube- and nanofiber-supported Pt electrocatalysts for PEM fuel cell catalysis. J Appl Electrochem 36, 507–522 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10800-006-9120-4

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