| The proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) is considered to be one of the potential alternatives to fossil fuel for its zero greenhouse gas emission, fast start-up, and high power density. However, widespread commercialization of PEMFC has been a challenge due to its high cost, as platinum (Pt) is the catalyst of choice for low-temperature PEMFC. Moreover, conventional catalyst support for Pt lacks desired properties such as high specific surface area, which results in under-utilization of Pt and further increases in cost. Ordered mesoporous carbons (OMC) are drawing attention for their high specific surface area that allows uniform distribution of Pt and maximum catalyst utilization. However, the amorphous structure of OMC accounts for high ohmic resistance of the fuel cell, which adversely affects the electrochemical activity. To address this issue, in this research we investigated modified OMC (M-mGMC) as a source of high surface area carbon with enhanced electron transport property as support material for Pt catalyst via catalytic graphitization of OMC. For catalytic graphitization of OMC, we found pairs of transition metals (e.g., Ni-Fe, Ni-Co, and Fe-Co) work better than a single metal. A sacrificial hard template (SBA-15) was used to synthesize OMC. The synthesized OMC and M-mGMCs were characterized using BET, XRD, XPS, Raman Spectroscopy, TGA-DSC analytical tools. BET surface area analysis revealed high specific surface area and large pore volumes of M-mGMCs. The partially graphitic nature of these catalyst support materials was confirmed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD), and Raman spectroscopy. The fuel cell test for membrane electrode assemblies (MEAs) fabricated with these graphitic mesoporous carbons demonstrated their potential as electrode material for PEMFC application. |
