Heat-treated microporous Black Pearl 2000 carbon black as platinum catalyst support in the PEMFC cathode electrode
Black Pearl (BP) 2000 carbon black, characterized by a substantial surface area, was utilized in its original and heat-treated states for the deposition of platinum (Pt) metal, a crucial catalyst for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) fuel cells. Heat treatment temperatures were 1000, 1200, 1400, and 1500 degrees C. Zeta potential study reveals that the Pt/BP 2000-1200 catalyst, possessing the highest isoelectric point (IEP), has fewer acidic surface oxygen groups than the other catalysts. The electrochemical surface area (ECSA) values of Pt catalysts were measured as 114.9, 76.2, 47.1, 41.8, and 38.4 m2/g for the Pt/BP 2000, Pt/BP 2000-1000, Pt/BP 2000-1200, Pt/BP 2000-1400, and Pt/BP 2000-1500 catalysts, respectively. In linear sweep voltammetry (LSV) analysis, the Pt/BP 2000-1200 catalyst exhibited the highest limiting diffusion current value of-3.581 mA/cm2 (@1600 rpm). In the electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) analysis, the Pt/BP 2000-1200 catalyst has the lowest ohmic resistance in the high-frequency region. The Pt/BP 2000-1200 demonstrated superior performance in PEM fuel cell experiments compared to other catalysts. The measurements at retention potentials of 0.6 and 0.1 V indicated that the current and power density values were 360.3/686.4 mA/cm2 (@0.6 V) and 215.5/410.5 mW/cm2 (@0.6 V), respectively. Heat treatment enhanced the structural regularity of the catalyst support, resulting in improved PEM fuel cell performance relative to the original carbon black. This study's recommended heat-treatment temperature for BP 2000 carbon black is 1200 degrees C.
- Journal
- APPLIED SURFACE SCIENCE
- Year
- 2025
- Volume
- 703
- ISSN
- 0169-4332
- eISSN
- 1873-5584
- DOI
- 10.1016/j.apsusc.2025.163395
- WoS UID
- WOS:001488002700001