SBIR Phase I: CO-Tolerant Pt-Mo Electrocatalysts for Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) Fuel Cells

9860477这个小型企业创新研究第一阶段项目致力于开发铂钼合金，作为有前途的耐一氧化碳催化剂，应用于以重整碳氢化合物中的氢为原料的燃料电池。在本项目中，三种成熟的合成方法制备了高分散的负载型铂钼合金。T/J Technologies，Inc.在双功能铂-Ru电催化剂在早期过渡金属碳化物载体上的分散方面拥有丰富的经验。利用这一领域的专业知识，系统地研究了将合金催化剂分散在Vulcan XC-72上以生产不同组成和微观结构的合金的三种合成方法。该公司将使用电子显微镜和X射线显微分析来表征负载型催化剂的组成和微观结构。溶出伏安测量将使用沉积在玻碳电极上的电催化剂进行。旋转圆盘法将被用来测量在规定的传质条件下的电氧化活性。在第二阶段，将优化催化剂的微观结构、负载量和粒度分布，以提高电化学活性。降低CO耐受催化剂的成本解决了PEM燃料电池商业化的一个关键障碍，这些燃料电池用于车辆推进和离网发电。

9860477 This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project addresses the development of Pt-Mo alloys as promising CO-tolerant catalysts for application in fuel cells operating on hydrogen from reformed hydrocarbons. In this project, three well-established synthetic methods to prepare high dispersion supported Pt-Mo alloys. T/J Technologies, Inc. has extensive experience in the dispersion of bifunctional Pt-Ru electrocatalysts on early transition metal carbide supports. Drawing on this area of expertise, a systematic investigate of three synthetic methods for dispersing the alloy catalysts on Vulcan XC-72 to produce alloys of varying composition and microstructure. The company will characterize the composition and microstructure of the supported catalysts using electron microscopy and x-ray microanalysis. Stripping voltammetry measurements will be performed using electrocatalysts deposited onto glassy carbon electrodes. Rotating disk methods will be used to measure electro-oxidation activity under defined mass transport conditions. In phase II, catalyst microstructure, weight loading, and particle size distributions will be optimized to improve electrochemical activity. Reducing the cost of CO tolerant catalysts addresses a key impediment to the commercialization of PEM fuel cells for vehicle propulsion and off-grid electric power generation.