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First Insight into Fluorinated Pt/Carbon Aerogels as More Corrosion-Resistant Electrocatalysts for Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell Cathodes

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Abstract

This study evaluates the fluorination of a carbon aerogel and gives first insights into its durability when used as platinum electrocatalyst substrate for proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) cathodes. Fluorine has been introduced before or after platinum deposition. The different electrocatalysts are physico-chemically and electrochemically characterized, and the results discussed by comparison with commercial Pt/XC72 from E-Tek. The results demonstrate that the level of fluorination of the carbon aerogel can be controlled. The fluorination modifies the texture of the carbons by increasing the pore size and decreasing the specific surface area, but the textures remain appropriate for PEMFC applications. Two fluorination sites are observed, leading to both high covalent C-F bonds and weakened ones, the quantity of which depends on whether the treatment is done before or after platinum deposition. The order of the different treatments is very important. Indeed, the presence of platinum contributes to the fluorination mechanism, but leads to amorphous platinum, which is demonstrated rather inactive towards the oxygen reduction reaction. On the contrary, a better durability was demonstrated for the fluorinated and then platinized catalyst compared both to the same but not fluorinated catalyst and to the reference commercial material (based on the loss of the electrochemical real surface area after accelerated stress tests).

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Acknowledgments

The authors wish to thank Pierre Ilbizian for supercritical drying and Camélia Ghimbeu for N2 isotherm measurements.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. MINES ParisTech, PSL Research University PERSEE-Centre procédés, énergies renouvelables et systèmes énergétiques, CS 10207 rue Claude Daunesse, 06904, Sophia Antipolis Cedex, France

    Sandrine Berthon-Fabry

  2. LEPMI, University of Grenoble Alpes, 38000, Grenoble, France

    Laetitia Dubau & Marian Chatenet

  3. CNRS, LEPMI, 38000, Grenoble, France

    Laetitia Dubau & Marian Chatenet

  4. Institut de Chimie de Clermont-Ferrand, Clermont Université, Université Blaise Pascal, BP 10448, 63000, Clermont-Ferrand, France

    Yasser Ahmad & Katia Guerin

  5. CNRS, UMR 6296, ICCF, F-63171 Aubière Institut de Chimie de Clermont-Ferrand, 24 avenue des Landais, 63171, Aubière, France

    Yasser Ahmad & Katia Guerin

  6. French University Institute (IUF), Paris, France

    Marian Chatenet

Authors
  1. Sandrine Berthon-Fabry
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  2. Laetitia Dubau
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  3. Yasser Ahmad
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  4. Katia Guerin
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Correspondence to Sandrine Berthon-Fabry.

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Berthon-Fabry, S., Dubau, L., Ahmad, Y. et al. First Insight into Fluorinated Pt/Carbon Aerogels as More Corrosion-Resistant Electrocatalysts for Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell Cathodes. Electrocatalysis 6, 521–533 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12678-015-0267-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12678-015-0267-9

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