New DMFC anode structure consisting of platinum nanowires deposited into a Nafion membrane

We propose a new DMFC anode structure consisting of platinum nanowires that are electrochemically deposited into the partial layer of a Nafion membrane. The formed platinum-nanowire network in such a Pt-Nafion integrated electrode not only provides the electron conduction paths but also functions as the catalyst for the methanol oxidation reaction, while the remaining part of the membrane with no Pt keeps on the function as the electrolyte. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images showed that Pt nanowires were uniformly distributed into the partial layer of the membrane, with the diameter ranging from 2 to 3 nm. Cyclic voltammetry tests showed that the Pt-Nafion integrated electrode possessed a larger electrochemically active surface area than did the conventional E-TEK electrode. The DMFC with this new anode structure demonstrated a lower rate of methanol crossover as the result of the incorporation of Pt nanowires into the hydrophilic pores of the membrane. The DMFC performance test further showed that the integrated electrode yielded a higher performance than did the conventional E-TEK electrode.