Solid polyelectrolyte (SPE) membranes containing a textured platinum catalyst

Perfluorinated cation-exchange flat-sheet membranes were treated with cetyltrimethylammonium bromide surfactant (CH3(CH2)(15)N(CH3)(3)Br) to investigate the effect of the membranes modification with the surfactant on the morphology of deposition of a Pt catalyst. The electroless chemical deposition of a platinum catalyst onto the membranes treated with the surfactant was achieved by the Takenaka-Torikai method. The effect of the membranes modification on their electrical conductivity was studied. The morphology of the platinum micro-particles deposited onto the membranes modified with the surfactant was investigated by means of atomic force microscopy (AFM). (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.