Durability of PEM fuel cell electrocatalysts prepared by microwave irradiation technique

In this study, the durability of the PEM fuel cell electrocatalysts was investigated by using cyclic voltammetry (CV) and rotating disk electrode (RDE) techniques. Accelerated degradation tests (ADTs) were applied to the commercial catalysts and the electrocatalysts prepared by microwave irradiation technique in order to determine the platinum dissolution/agglomeration and carbon corrosion characteristics. The parameters examined for the commercial catalysts were carbon to Nafion (C/N) ratio in the catalyst ink and Pt loading over the carbon support. The parameters examined for the home-made catalysts were the conditions altered in the microwave environment including the base concentration and microwave duration. The hydrogen oxidation reaction (HOR) and oxygen reduction reactions (ORR) were examined before and after ADTs. The results showed that the catalyst properties differently affect the HOR and ORR activities of the catalysts before and after ADTs. ► Durability of commercial and home-made catalysts was examined. ► Home-made catalysts were the ones synthesized with microwave irradiation technique. ► The importance of different catalyst properties on the durability was examined.