Palladium/Iron-Platinum Core/Shell Nanoparticle Catalysts Promising for Practical Fuel Cell Applications

Chemists at Brown University have synthesized novel core and shell palladium/iron-platinum (Pd/FePt) nanoparticles that use far less platinum yet perform more efficiently and last longer than commercially available pure-platinum catalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in hydrogen fuel cells.

In testing, the current density generated from a 5 nm core/1 nm shell Pd/FePt nanoparticle (NP) was around 12 times higher than that from a commercial platinum catalyst. The 5 nm/1 nm Pd/FePt NPs had no noticeable change in morphology after the ORR test and 10,000 potential cycles and the core/shell structure was maintained. These nanoparticles, the researchers concluded, are promising new catalysts for practical fuel cell applications.

<!––>The oxygen reduction reaction takes place at the fuel cell’s cathode, creating water as its only waste. The cathode is also where up to 40% of a fuel cell’s efficiency is lost, so “this is a crucial step in making fuel cells a more competitive technology with internal combustion engines and batteries,” said Shouheng Sun, professor of chemistry at Brown and co-author of the paper published online 24 May in the Journal of the American Chemical Society.

Article Source: http://www.greencarcongress.com/2010/05/brown-20100526.html#more