Composited hybrid electrocatalysts of Pt-based nanoparticles and nanowires for low temperature polymer electrolyte fuel cells

A new and highly improved electrocatalytic system of a composited hybrid electrode with Pt-based nanoparticles (NPs) and nanowires (NWs) is reported for low temperature polymer electrolyte fuel cells. Pt-based NWs have been realized as an option that can provide facile charge transport with a high activity for oxidation of fuels, for overcoming the disadvantages of Pt-based NPs as the state-of-the-art electrocatalysts. Moreover, a network-like electrode structure using the anisotropic morphology of Pt-based NWs can also supply efficient mass transport and mitigate uneconomical use of Pt by reducing embedded catalyst particles. Herein, we demonstrate that an advanced and very efficient hybrid structure of electrode, composited with highly-dispersed Pt-based NPs and NWs, shows significantly improved performances both in the CH3OH-fueled and H-2-fueled fuel cells via synergistic effects by integrating advantages of two different morphologies. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.