Synthesis of polyacrylonitrile/polystyrene latex particles that contain platinum

ABSTRACT Studies on the incorporation of highly dispersed platinum (Pt) nanoparticles into proton‐exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFC) as a possible catalyst have gained tremendous attention in the past decade. The major obstacle to fully commercialize PEMFCs is the high cost of Pt as the catalyst. In this study, the incorporation of highly dispersed platinum molecules into poly(acrylonitrile) (PAN) or polystyrene (PS)/PAN latex particles was carried out to form a possible a catalyst precursor for fuel‐cell applications. Pt‐containing PAN/PS particles were prepared using miniemulsion polymerization. Both transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and induction coupled plasma (ICP) measurements indicated that Pt salt was encapsulated into PAN/PS copolymer latex particles. In addition, the encapsulation percentages of Pt salt are all above 90% for different PAN/PS ratios. Additional experiments have been carried out to convert these Pt molecules into nanoparticles and will be elaborated upon subsequent studies. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015, 132, 41933