Three-Dimensional Tracking and Visualization of Hundreds of Pt₋Co Fuel Cell Nanocatalysts During Electrochemical Aging

Journal Article · Tue Dec 27 00:00:00 EST 2011 · Nano Lett.

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1021/nl203920s· OSTI ID:1067265

Yu, Yingchao ^[1]; Xin, Huolin L. ^[2]; Hovden, Robert ^[3]; Wang, Deli ^[1]; Rus, Eric D. ^[1]; Mundy, Julia A. ^[3]; Muller, David A. ^[3]; Abruña, Héctor D. ^[1]

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1. Cornell Univ., Ithaca, NY (United States). Dept. of Chemistry and Chemical Biology
2. Cornell Univ., Ithaca, NY (United States). Dept. of Physics
3. Cornell Univ., Ithaca, NY (United States). School of Applied and Engineering Physics

We describe an electron tomography method that allows for the identification of hundreds of electrocatalyst nanoparticles with one-to-one correspondence before and after electrochemical aging. This method allows us to track, in three-dimensions, the trajectories and morphologies of each Pt-Co nanocatalyst on a fuel cell carbon support. In conjunction with the use of atomic-scale electron energy loss spectroscopic imaging, our experiment enables the correlation of performance degradation of the catalyst with changes in particle/interparticle morphologies, particle-support interactions, and the near-surface chemical composition. We found that aging of the catalysts under normal fuel cell operating conditions (potential scans from +0.6 to +1.0 V for 30,000 cycles) gives rise to coarsening of the nanoparticles, mainly through coalescence, which in turn leads to the loss of performance. The observed coalescence events were found to be the result of nanoparticle migration on the carbon support during potential cycling. In conclusion, this method provides detailed insights into how nanocatalyst degradation occurs in proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) and suggests that minimization of particle movement can potentially slow down the coarsening of the particles and the corresponding performance degradation.

• Research Organization: Energy Frontier Research Centers (EFRC) (United States); Energy Frontier Research Center (EFRC), Energy Materials Center at Cornell (EMC2) (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES)
• DOE Contract Number: SC0001086; FG02-87ER45298; DMR 1120296
• OSTI ID: 1067265
• Journal Information: Nano Lett., Vol. 12, Issue 9
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

catalysis (homogeneous)
catalysis (heterogeneous)
energy storage (including batteries and capacitors)
hydrogen and fuel cells
defects
charge transport
membrane
materials and chemistry by design
synthesis (novel materials)
synthesis (self-assembly)
synthesis (scalable processing)
Tomography
electrocatalysis
STEM
fuel cell
ORR
EELS