Functionalization of carbon materials with nitrogen heteroatoms has attracted significant attention in recent years with demonstrations showing the benefits of N-doped systems across a wide range of applications ranging from fuel cells to batteries, molecular sorption, bio-sensing, chemical production, and medicine. In this work we investigate the effect of nitrogen functionalization on the performance of carbon-supported PtRu methanol oxidation fuel cell electrocatalysts.  In particular, the beneficial effects of nitrogen on stability of these catalysts will be discussed comparing the behavior of the catalyst in acid and alkaline media.  Composition and morphology of the undoped and N-doped materials are assessed via x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM).  Electrocatalysts are evaluated using rotating disk electrode (RDE), followed by fabrication and testing of fuel cell membrane electrode assemblies (MEAs) incorporating the catalysts. The performance observed for the N-doped PtRu/carbon electrocatalysts are among the best reported for an alkaline direct methanol fuel cell (ADMFC) for the examined catalyst loading and measurement conditions.

Effect of nitrogen functionalization on stability and performance of carbon-supported PtRu electrocatalysts in acid and alkaline media

249th National Meeting (2015)

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