Stability of Carbon Nanotubes and Nanofibers-based Fuel Cell Electrodes

5 Stability of Carbon Nanotubes and Nanofibers-based Fuel Cell Electrodes 

In the state of the art PEM fuel cell, carbon black is normally used as the support materials for catalysts. But carbon support is subject to degradation under chemically and electrochemically oxidizing conditions [207-210]. Roen et al. [209] observed catalyzed oxidation of carbon black in PEM fuel cells. It was proposed that CO would adsorb on Pt particles below 0.6 V and it was subsequently oxidized. In an another study, Kangasniemi et al. [208] observed progressive oxidations of carbon black in H2SO4, which may indicate that inside oxidations of carbon black support may have occurred. Therefore, considerable 

In the carbon-supported, Pt catalyst, the interaction is attributed to the presence of a Pt-support electronic effect. The specific metal-support interaction is through the electron transfer from the Pt clusters to the oxygen atoms of the surface of the support [222]. In many cases, chemical bonds are formed or charge transfer takes place between the contacting phases. The Pt-carbon support interaction is considered to be beneficial to the enhancement of the catalytic properties and to improve the stability of the electrocatalyst [223, 224]. 

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