Synthesis and Evaluation of Graphene for PEMFC Catalyst Support

Carbon supported platinum is a traditional electrocatalyst for proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC). The support material for the platinum is the key to the performance of the fuel cell. The catalyst performance can be enhanced by increasing the surface area as well as the electrical conductivity of the support material. Graphene is a flat monolayer of sp² hybridized carbon atoms tightly packed into a two-dimensional honeycomb lattice, which is a basic building block for carbon-based materials. Graphene has extraordinary high electrical conductivity as well as very high surface area as compared to carbon (Vulcan XC-72). Therefore, in the present study, graphene is synthesized as a support material by thermo-chemical method. The synthesized graphene is characterized by FESEM, TEM, and XRD. The graphene supported platinum (Pt/G) is prepared by precipitation method and the prepared catalyst is characterized for particle size, surface morphology, and electrochemical performance using cyclic voltammetry. The electrochemical surface area of graphene supported platinum is around 19% more than that of the carbon supported platinum (Pt/C). The membrane electrode assembly is developed and tested in a proton exchange membrane fuel cell. The operating parameters of the fuel cell are controlled by the help of a fuel cell test station. The performances of the fuel cell developed by Pt/G and Pt/C (commercial) are compared. The maximum power densities of Pt/G and Pt/C are observed as 314 and 426 mW-cm^-2, respectively.