Microwave-assisted synthesis of Pt/C catalyst at high temperatures for PEM fuel cells

In this work, Vulcan XC-72 supported platinum electrocatalysts (Pt/C) are synthesized by using a two-step, microwave-assisted polyol method. The effect of synthesis conditions on the properties of Pt/C electrocatalysts is investigated at various temperatures (140-200 degrees C) and corresponding autogenous-pressures (1.0-7.5 bar) at a constant synthesis duration of 35 min. A completely sealed reaction vessel is used to heat the polyol mixture above its boiling point of 140 degrees C. Catalysts are characterized by XRD, TGA, FTIR, BET, SEM, TEM, Cyclic voltammetry (CV), and the results are compared with the properties of commercial Pt/C. Pt/C catalyst synthesized at 160 degrees C exhibits the highest ECSA of 69.2 m2/g Pt, highest Pt loading efficiency of 92%, narrowest Pt particle size distribution with an average of 3.6 nm, and Pt crystallite size of 2.3 nm. SEM and TEM confirm the formation of micron-sized Pt agglomerations for the catalysts synthesized at 180 and 200 degrees C. Characterization studies show that the polyol method presented in this study is suitable for synthesizing Pt/C catalysts which have comparable properties to commercial Pt/C.(c) 2023 Hydrogen Energy Publications LLC. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.