Comparison of the ORR Activity of Carbon Supported PtCo/C and PtSnCo/C Electrocatalysts for PEM Fuel Cells

Besides producing clean energy via fuel cells, the costs and activations of catalysts have a great importance. In order to reduce cathode activation losses due to comparably sluggish kinetics of oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), more active catalysts than Pt should be used. Mostly, noble metals are alloyed with second or third metal as cathode catalysts in order to obtain a synergistic effect. The objective of this study is to improve and enhance the electrocatalytic activities and to lower the costs of Pt-based cathode catalysts. Electrocatalytic activities of various carbon-supported platinum-based binary, PtCo/C and ternary, PtSnCo/C electrocatalysts were investigated. The results of the ORR activities related to PtCo/C and PtSnCo/C electrocatalysts exhibited superior activity than Pt/C catalyst. Microwave assisted polyol synthesis method was used to synthesize bimetallic and ternary catalysts in a very short time with particle size smaller than 10 nm. Characterization of the catalysts was carried out by electrochemical, spectroscopic and microscopic methods