Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell With Enhanced Durability Using Fluorinated Carbon As Electrocatalyst

Yasser Ahmad (1) , Katia Guérin (1) , Laetitia Dubau (2) , Marian Chatenet (2) , Sandrine Berthon-Fabry (3)

1 ICCF - Institut de Chimie de Clermont-Ferrand
2 LEPMI - Laboratoire d'Electrochimie et de Physico-chimie des Matériaux et des Interfaces
3 PERSEE - Centre Procédés, Énergies Renouvelables, Systèmes Énergétiques

This study evaluates the fluorination of a carbon aerogel and its effects on the durability of the resulting electrocatalyst for Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell (PEMFC). Fluorine has been introduced before or after platinum deposition. The different electrocatalysts are physico-chemically and electrochemically characterized, and the results discussed by comparison with commercial Pt/XC72 from E-Tek. The results demonstrate that the level of fluorination of the carbon aerogel can be controlled. The fluorination modifies the texture of the carbons by increasing the pore size and decreasing the specific surface area, but the textures remain appropriate for PEMFC applications. Two fluorination sites are observed, leading to both high covalent C-F bond and weakened ones, the quantity of which depends on whether the treatment is done before or after platinum deposition. The order of the different treatments is very important. The presence of platinum contributes to the fluorination mechanism, but leads to amorphous platinum rather inactive towards the Oxygen Reduction Reaction. Finally, a better durability was demonstrated for the fluorinated then platinized catalyst compared both to the same but not fluorinated catalyst and to the reference commercial material (based on the loss of the electrochemical real surface area after accelerated stress tests).

Mots clés: Membrane Fuel Cell; Fluorinated Carbon; Electrocatalyst

Domaines: Matériaux

Yasser Ahmad, Katia Guérin, Laetitia Dubau, Marian Chatenet, Sandrine Berthon-Fabry. Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell With Enhanced Durability Using Fluorinated Carbon As Electrocatalyst. E3S Web of Conferences, 2017, 11th European Space Power Conference - ESPC 2016, 16, pp.17001. ⟨10.1051/e3sconf/20171617001⟩. ⟨hal-01557369⟩