Author:
Vion-Dury Benoit,Chatenet Marian,Guétaz Laure,Maillard Frédéric
Abstract
Identical Location transmission electron microscopy (IL-TEM) was coupled to CO-stripping voltammetry to characterize the morphology of a benchmark Pt/C 50 wt% electrocatalyst (TEC10 - E50E, by Tanaka TKK). From the thorough analysis of the experimental data, 19 relevant structural markers were determined. These were subsequently used to quantify the structural degradations occurring during a simple electrochemical aging procedure (square-wave voltammetry from 0.1 to 0.9 V vs. RHE) performed in model PEMFC cathode environment (1 M H2SO4). Thanks to these markers, the mechanisms at stake during the Pt/C degradation were determined: Pt crystallite migration and coalescence, carbon corrosion and platinum dissolution/re-precipitation are at stake, the latter mechanism not being predominant.
Publisher
The Electrochemical Society