Advanced microscopic and spectroscopic evaluation of hybrid-supported catalysts

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

This focused and industry-driven collaborative research and development-CRD project with the industrial partner Automotive Fuel-Cell Cooperation (AFCC) on the optimization of hybrid supported Pt catalysts will tackle some of challenges in the development of Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells (PEMFC) for the automotive industry. The project addresses some of the major roadblocks related to the performance, durability and material cost of PEMFC. In this CRD, the aim is to study, at very high spatial resolution, the structure of mixed metal-oxide/carbon supported catalyst and to study the evolution of these materials following electrochemical cycling, all this in close collaboration with AFCC. More specifically, the proposal will help AFCC to: 1) Reduce the material cost of the 5th Generation PEMFC, 2) Increase the durability of the fuel cell automobile stacks by replacing the carbon support with hybrid supports, modified carbons or more robust materials 3) understand the degradation of the catalysts and hybrid support materials following electrochemical cycling using a combination of site-specific and in-situ testing of materials. This research will contribute to these goals by providing precise quantitative structural and chemical information down to the atomic level absolutely necessary to these developments through the characterization of the materials produced by AFCC so that the synthesis of new materials and new strategies can be directly related to the observed structure and ultimately the properties. The world-class advanced electron microscopy facilities of the Canadian Centre for Electron Microscopy will be used for this work. This proposal presents a unique convergence of expertise in characterization, infrastructure and synthesis that is unique by world standards and it will help Canadian fuel cell industry compete in a growing international market requiring greener sources of energy.