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Stability issues of CO tolerant Pt-based electrocatalysts for polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells: comparison of Pt/Ti0.8Mo0.2O2–C with PtRu/C

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Abstract

The stability and CO tolerance of a self-made 20 wt% Pt/Ti0.8Mo0.2O2–C mixed oxide–carbon composite supported electrocatalyst was compared to those of a commercial state-of-the-art PtRu/C electrocatalyst by means of cyclic voltammetry and COads stripping voltammetry measurements. On the Pt/Ti0.8Mo0.2O2–C catalyst the oxidation of CO takes place at exceptionally low potential values (ECO,onset = 50 mV); the onset potential is shifted to less positive potentials by 150 mV compared to the PtRu/C catalyst. A stability test involving 500 polarization cycles revealed that the PtRu/C catalyst suffered more significant degradation than the composite supported Pt catalyst. XPS measurements indicated that the degradation is connected to ruthenium dissolution. At the same time, better electrocatalytic stability and increased CO tolerance of the Pt/Ti0.8Mo0.2O2–C electrocatalyst compared to the PtRu/C catalyst was evidenced.

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Acknowledgements

The research within Project No. VEKOP-2.3.2-16-2017-00013 was supported by the European Union and the State of Hungary, co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund. Financial support by the OTKA-project [Grant Number K112034 (István Bakos)] is greatly acknowledged.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Materials and Environmental Chemistry, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Magyar tudósok körútja 2, 1117, Budapest, Hungary

    Ádám Vass, Irina Borbáth, István Bakos, Zoltán Pászti & András Tompos

  2. Institute for Technical Physics and Materials Science, Centre for Energy Research, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Konkoly-Thege M. út 29-33, 1121, Budapest, Hungary

    György Sáfrán

  3. P.O. Box 286, Budapest, 1519, Hungary

    Irina Borbáth

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  1. Ádám Vass
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Correspondence to Irina Borbáth.

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Vass, Á., Borbáth, I., Bakos, I. et al. Stability issues of CO tolerant Pt-based electrocatalysts for polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells: comparison of Pt/Ti0.8Mo0.2O2–C with PtRu/C. Reac Kinet Mech Cat 126, 679–699 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11144-018-1512-z

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