CSIRO PUBLISHING - Australian Journal of Chemistry

Carbon Nanotube Free-Standing Membrane of Pt/SWNTs as Catalyst Layer in Hydrogen Fuel Cells

Jason M. Tang ^A ^, ^D , Kurt Jensen ^B ^, ^D , Wenzhen Li ^B ^, ^D , Mahesh Waje ^B ^, ^D , Paul Larsen ^B ^, ^D , Palanisamy Ramesh ^A , Mikhail E. Itkis ^A , Yushan Yan ^A ^, ^B ^, ^D ^, ^E and Robert C. Haddon ^A ^, ^C ^, ^D ^, ^E

^A Center for Nanoscale Science and Engineering, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA 92521-0403, USA.
^B College of Engineering—Center for Environmental Research and Technology, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA 92521-0403, USA.
^C Department of Chemistry, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA 92521-0403, USA.
^D Department of Chemical & Environmental Engineering, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA 92521-0403, USA.
^E Corresponding authors. Email: haddon@ucr.edu; Yushan.Yan@ucr.edu

Abstract

A simple and promising fuel-cell architecture is demonstrated using a carbon nanotube free-standing membrane (CNTFSM) made from Pt supported on purified single-walled carbon nanotubes (Pt/SWNT), which act as the catalyst layer in a hydrogen proton exchange membrane fuel cell without the need for Nafion in the catalyst layer. The CNTFSM made from Pt/SWNT at a loading of 0.082 mg Pt cm^–2 exhibits higher performance with a peak power density of 0.675 W cm^–2 in comparison with a commercially available E-TEK electrocatalyst made of Pt supported on XC-72 carbon black, which had a peak power density of 0.395 W cm^–2 at a loading of 0.084 mg Pt cm^–2 also without Nafion in the catalyst layer.

Australian Journal of Chemistry 60(7) 528–532 doi:10.1071/CH06411
Submitted: 1 November 2007 Accepted: 27 February 2007 Published: 9 July 2007