Electrochemical Analysis for Demonstrating CO Tolerance of Catalysts in Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cells

Since trace amounts of CO in H<sub>2</sub> gas produced by steam reforming of methane causes severe poisoning of Pt-based catalysts in polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs), research has been mainly devoted to exploring CO-tolerant catalysts. To test the electrochemical proper...

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Main Authors: Jiho Min, A. Anto Jeffery, Youngjin Kim, Namgee Jung
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2019-10-01
Series:Nanomaterials
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2079-4991/9/10/1425
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spelling doaj-c24ca69748304224919d6ac397091efd2020-11-24T22:10:06ZengMDPI AGNanomaterials2079-49912019-10-01910142510.3390/nano9101425nano9101425Electrochemical Analysis for Demonstrating CO Tolerance of Catalysts in Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel CellsJiho Min0A. Anto Jeffery1Youngjin Kim2Namgee Jung3Graduate School of Energy Science and Technology (GEST), Chungnam National University, 99 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, 34134, KoreaGraduate School of Energy Science and Technology (GEST), Chungnam National University, 99 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, 34134, KoreaGraduate School of Energy Science and Technology (GEST), Chungnam National University, 99 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, 34134, KoreaGraduate School of Energy Science and Technology (GEST), Chungnam National University, 99 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, 34134, KoreaSince trace amounts of CO in H<sub>2</sub> gas produced by steam reforming of methane causes severe poisoning of Pt-based catalysts in polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs), research has been mainly devoted to exploring CO-tolerant catalysts. To test the electrochemical property of CO-tolerant catalysts, chronoamperometry is widely used under a CO/H<sub>2</sub> mixture gas atmosphere as an essential method. However, in most cases of catalysts with high CO tolerance, the conventional chronoamperometry has difficulty in showing the apparent performance difference. In this study, we propose a facile and precise test protocol to evaluate the CO tolerance via a combination of short-term chronoamperometry and a hydrogen oxidation reaction (HOR) test. The degree of CO poisoning is systematically controlled by changing the CO adsorption time. The HOR polarization curve is then measured and compared with that measured without CO adsorption. When the electrochemical properties of PtRu alloy catalysts with different atomic ratios of Pt to Ru are investigated, contrary to conventional chronoamperometry, these catalysts exhibit significant differences in their CO tolerance at certain CO adsorption times. The present work will facilitate the development of catalysts with extremely high CO tolerance and provide insights into the improvement of electrochemical methods.https://www.mdpi.com/2079-4991/9/10/1425chronoamperometryco tolerancehydrogen oxidation reactionptru alloyevaluation protocol
collection DOAJ
language English
format Article
sources DOAJ
author Jiho Min
A. Anto Jeffery
Youngjin Kim
Namgee Jung
spellingShingle Jiho Min
A. Anto Jeffery
Youngjin Kim
Namgee Jung
Electrochemical Analysis for Demonstrating CO Tolerance of Catalysts in Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cells
Nanomaterials
chronoamperometry
co tolerance
hydrogen oxidation reaction
ptru alloy
evaluation protocol
author_facet Jiho Min
A. Anto Jeffery
Youngjin Kim
Namgee Jung
author_sort Jiho Min
title Electrochemical Analysis for Demonstrating CO Tolerance of Catalysts in Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cells
title_short Electrochemical Analysis for Demonstrating CO Tolerance of Catalysts in Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cells
title_full Electrochemical Analysis for Demonstrating CO Tolerance of Catalysts in Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cells
title_fullStr Electrochemical Analysis for Demonstrating CO Tolerance of Catalysts in Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cells
title_full_unstemmed Electrochemical Analysis for Demonstrating CO Tolerance of Catalysts in Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cells
title_sort electrochemical analysis for demonstrating co tolerance of catalysts in polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells
publisher MDPI AG
series Nanomaterials
issn 2079-4991
publishDate 2019-10-01
description Since trace amounts of CO in H<sub>2</sub> gas produced by steam reforming of methane causes severe poisoning of Pt-based catalysts in polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs), research has been mainly devoted to exploring CO-tolerant catalysts. To test the electrochemical property of CO-tolerant catalysts, chronoamperometry is widely used under a CO/H<sub>2</sub> mixture gas atmosphere as an essential method. However, in most cases of catalysts with high CO tolerance, the conventional chronoamperometry has difficulty in showing the apparent performance difference. In this study, we propose a facile and precise test protocol to evaluate the CO tolerance via a combination of short-term chronoamperometry and a hydrogen oxidation reaction (HOR) test. The degree of CO poisoning is systematically controlled by changing the CO adsorption time. The HOR polarization curve is then measured and compared with that measured without CO adsorption. When the electrochemical properties of PtRu alloy catalysts with different atomic ratios of Pt to Ru are investigated, contrary to conventional chronoamperometry, these catalysts exhibit significant differences in their CO tolerance at certain CO adsorption times. The present work will facilitate the development of catalysts with extremely high CO tolerance and provide insights into the improvement of electrochemical methods.
topic chronoamperometry
co tolerance
hydrogen oxidation reaction
ptru alloy
evaluation protocol
url https://www.mdpi.com/2079-4991/9/10/1425
work_keys_str_mv AT jihomin electrochemicalanalysisfordemonstratingcotoleranceofcatalystsinpolymerelectrolytemembranefuelcells
AT aantojeffery electrochemicalanalysisfordemonstratingcotoleranceofcatalystsinpolymerelectrolytemembranefuelcells
AT youngjinkim electrochemicalanalysisfordemonstratingcotoleranceofcatalystsinpolymerelectrolytemembranefuelcells
AT namgeejung electrochemicalanalysisfordemonstratingcotoleranceofcatalystsinpolymerelectrolytemembranefuelcells
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