Assistance of Templates and Template Preparation

Preparation and control of the size and structure of fuel cell catalysts in the nanosize range using templates synthesis methods has attracted some attention. The best known synthesis method is probably the deposition of metal films from lyotropic liquid crystalline mixtures developed to by Phil Bartlett s group [71-73]. They have used the method to deposit films of Pt, Pt/Ru alloys, and other metals. 

Furthermore, the Pt in the PtCU compound is not stable and dissociates into Pt and Pt i.e., a competitive reaction with Equation 9.10 may take place. Depending on the electrode size, Pt films of different roughness factors (surface areas) are formed. It has been suggested this is due to different diffusion rates of Pt away from the electrode surface. The roughness and order of the resulting films is also influenced by the deposition potential, particularly when other processes such as H2 evolution also take place. Rougher and less ordered films are obtained in the latter case. 

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