The effect of the core/shell nanostructure arrays on PEM fuel cells: a short review

Abstract

Fuel cell technology is one of the solutions which can play an important role in the environmentally friendly with more efficient, cleaner and quieter than traditional internal combustion engines. Among the fuel cells types polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells have many advantages regarding quick start-up time, less warm-up time high power density and high efficiency. There are still some limitations due to the cost of Pt-based catalysts. Platinum based catalysts are presently the most promising catalysts for Oxygen Reduction Reaction (ORR) in Fuel Cells. Homogenously distributed Pt nanoparticles on carbon support (Pt/C) nanoparticles are mostly using in conventional way to produce Fuel Cells. Pt-based electrocatalysts with higher activity and durability are needed for cost-competitive PEM Fuel Cells. It can be developed/improved further by using Platinum-based/alloy thin film core-shell nanostructures. For this reason, this article reviewed the significance and processing of such core/shell structures. The general information about Fuel Cells is given at the beginning of this review article. Later, type of the fuel cells along with more definition of the PEM Fuel Cells are described. The Pt shell on Ni, Cr, Pd, Ru, and WC core nanorods increase the stability and durability and decrease the cost based on the published works. This nanostructured design will significantly impact the fuel cell technology by improving catalysts. Specifically, by controlling size, composition, and surface-area-to-volume ratios, this review article describes the investigation of the core/shell nanostructured array catalysts. A few of the following examples of core/shell structures and supported catalysts proved electrocatalytic oxygen reduction.

Implementation of heteroatom-doped nanomaterial/core–shell nanostructure based electrocatalysts for fuel cells and metal-ion/air/sulfur batteries

“…54 In this section, we specifically discuss the fabrication of HCSN electrocatalysts for fuel cell applications with a detailed analysis of the reported literature. [55][56][57][58] The PEMFC reactions are as follows: 46 Anode: 2H 2 -4H + + 4e À E1 = 0 V (1)…”

“…PEMFCs mainly consist of a thin porous cathode and anode and a conductive electrolyte membrane, which typically features a perfluorinated polymer backbone with sulfonic acid side chains. 46 The polymer membrane is highly conductive under humidified conditions. In addition to the cathode, anode, and electrolyte membrane, the PEMFC assembly consists of a gas diffusion layer (GDL) which is mainly responsible for controlling the oxygen and hydrogen gas transfer through the cathode and anode layers.…”

Stacked and Core–Shell Pt:Ni/WC Nanorod Array Electrocatalyst for Enhanced Oxygen Reduction Reaction in Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cells

“…In this study, our goal was to develop a new core–shell catalyst design with conformal encapsulation of the WC support nanorods with a Pt:Ni shell in order to reduce leaching and dissolution problems. To achieve this, we grew WC core nanorods that were intentionally shorter using glancing angle deposition (GLAD) followed by high-pressure sputtering (HIPS) , deposition of the Pt:Ni shell. After fabricating the first stack of short core–shell nanorod arrays, we repeated the process to grow the second stack and obtain a similar length of nanorod catalyst layer at the end.…”

Low cost, high performance fuel cell energy conditioning system controlled by neural network

“…The first prototypes of fuel cells date back to 1838 with the work of Christian Friedrich Schönbein and Sir William Grove with gaseous batteries [9][10][11]. However, interest in their development has been pressured by the shortage of energy resources, which has not been common throughout these last two centuries.…”