Fuel Cell Electrodes From Organometallic Platinum Precursors: An Easy Atmospheric Plasma Approach

Delphine Merche (1) , Thierry Dufour (1) , Joffrey Baneton (1) , Giuseppe Caldarella (2) , Vinciane Debaille (3) , Nathalie Job (2) , François Reniers (1)

1 CHANI - Service de chimie analytique et chimie des interfaces
2 Université de Liège
3 ULB - Université libre de Bruxelles

An organometallic powder (platinum (II) acetylacetonate) is decomposed in the post-discharge of an atmospheric RF plasma torch to deposit Pt nanoparticles on carbon black supports. The resulting nanohybrid materials are characterized by FEG-SEM and XPS techniques to highlight their high content in Pt, their oxidation degree, and the dispersion of the Pt nanoparticles on the substrate. ICP-MS and electrochemical characterizations in a single fuel cell (cyclic voltammetry, dynamic polarization curves) are also performed on electrodes realized by treating the powder mixture overlaid on gas diffusion layers. The comparison of the catalytic activity and the Pt loading with commercially available electrodes shows the great potential of this simple innovative, fast, and robust deposition method.

Domaines: Chimie; Polymères; Matériaux; Physique des plasmas [physics.plasm-ph]; Plasmas

Delphine Merche, Thierry Dufour, Joffrey Baneton, Giuseppe Caldarella, Vinciane Debaille, et al.. Fuel Cell Electrodes From Organometallic Platinum Precursors: An Easy Atmospheric Plasma Approach. Plasma Processes and Polymers, 2016, Plasma Processes and Polymers, 13 (1), pp.91-104. ⟨10.1002/ppap.201500157⟩. ⟨hal-01303206v1⟩