Advanced metal nanowire and nanotube catalysts for fuel cells

日益增长的环境问题和化石燃料的迅速枯竭在全球范围内创造了对替代清洁能源技术的巨大需求。聚合物电解质膜燃料电池(PEMFC)被认为是最有希望为零排放电动汽车、家庭/建筑和便携式电子产品提供动力的材料。与质子交换膜燃料电池催化剂特别相关的两个主要技术障碍是：(1)铂(铂)成本高；(2)现有铂基催化剂的耐用性不足。我们解决氧还原动力学慢、耐久性差、铂含量高的问题的途径是设计一种新型的先进的铂/铂金属/非铂纳米线和纳米管催化剂，其尺寸(直径、长度和纳米管壁厚)、组成(例如，铂和非贵金属的二元和三元合金)和结构(具有铂单层/多层壳的核-壳)是可控的。本项目的最终目标是开发新型廉价的纳米结构催化剂，使其对质子交换膜燃料电池具有良好的稳定性和催化活性，并促进我们对这些催化剂催化和降解机理的基本了解。在催化剂和膜电极组件(MEA)的合成、加工、计算和优化方面提出的途径和方法有望为纳米结构燃料电池催化剂提供实验、理论和工程方面的见解。这项拟议的研究可能会利用纳米技术的最新进展，为燃料电池技术带来革命性的进步。拟议的活动还旨在培训高素质人员(HQP)，他们将在加拿大和全球下一代技术的发展中发挥关键作用。

The growing environmental concerns and rapid depletion of fossil fuels have created enormous worldwide demand for alternative, clean energy technologies. Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cells (PEMFCs) have been considered most promising for powering zero-emission electric vehicles, homes/buildings, and portable electronics. Two major technical barriers specifically associated with the PEMFC catalysts are: (i) high cost of Platinum (Pt) and (ii) insufficient durability of currently available Pt based catalysts. Our approach to solving the problems of slow kinetics of the oxygen reduction (ORR), low durability and high Pt content is to design a new class of advanced Pt/Pt-metal/non-Pt nanowires and nanotubes catalysts with controllable size (diameter, length, and nanotube wall thickness), composition (e.g., binary and ternary alloy of Pt and non-precious metals) and structures (core-shell with Pt monolayer/multilayer shell). The ultimate goal of this project is to develop new, inexpensive nanostructured catalysts with excellent stability and enhanced catalytic activity for PEMFCs, and advance our fundamental understanding of catalytic and degradation mechanisms of these catalysts. The proposed approaches and methods in synthesis, processing, computation and optimization of catalysts and membrane electrode assembly (MEA) fabrication are expected to provide experimental, theoretical, and engineering insights into the nanostructured fuel cell catalysts. The proposed research could bring revolutionary advances to the fuel cell technology by taking advantages of the most recent progresses in nanotechnology. The proposed activity also aims to train highly qualified personnel (HQP) who will be critical in the development of next generation technology in Canada and globally.