Kinetic Modeling of Platinum Surface Area Loss i PEMFCs

Ted Holby, Dane Morgan, Materials Science Program

Polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) are a promising technology for future energy conversion devices.  Platinum surface area loss is a key issue in the long-term durability of PEMFCs.  This loss is thought to be due to Oswald ripening, platinum dissolution, particle surface migration and coalescence (the Smoluchowski mechanism) and degradation of the particles’ underlying carbon support.  By kinetically modeling these underlying mechanisms that lead to loss in platinum surface area, we hope to gain insight into which mechanisms dominate under different PEMFC simulated run time conditions.  Parameters for models come from first-principle studies of platinum and carbon surfaces as well as from fitting to experimental loss data. 

Figure: Picture of platinum monomers on a graphite surface. First principle energy calculations help to elucidate hopping barriers and pathways. 

We gratefully acknowledge financial support from the Department of Energy (DOE) Basic Research for the Hydrogen Fuel Initiative, award number DE-FG02-05ER15728. We gratefully acknowledge computing support from the National Science Foundation (NSF) National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA), award number DMR060007

 

  • Publication

  1. Instability of Supported Platinum Nanoparticles in Low-Temperature Fuel Cells, Y. Shao-Horn, W.C. Sheng, S. Chen, P.J. Ferreira, E. Holby, D. Morgan, Topics in Catalysis 2007, 46, 3-4, 1572-9028

 
 



     
 

Copyright (c) 2006 CMG@UW-Madison. All rights reserved.