Groot-Ammers | February 13th, 2025

Polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) are a promising technology for sustainable energy generation, offering high efficiency and minimal environmental impact — by producing only water and heat as byproducts. However, widespread adoption has been hindered by challenges, such as the slow oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) kinetics at the cathode and the high cost of platinum (Pt) catalysts. 

DATE & TIME
📆 Thursday, March 27th, 2025
🕔 16:00 (CET) 

Addressing these challenges requires the development of durable, low-Pt-content catalysts with high activity. Creating bi- and tri-metallic catalysts can improve both performance and stability by altering the d-band of the Pt metal while reducing the amount of Pt required, which also lowers cost. Atomic layer deposition (ALD) is one method to create controlled layers of metal shells on a nanowire core, and post-synthesis modifications can tune the properties of the metals to improve activity plus durability.

In this webinar, platinum nickel (PtNi) and platinum nickel cobalt (PtNiCo) nanowires (NWs) were investigated with AES, XPS, HAXPES, and TOF-SIMS. The ALD-synthesized NWs were exposed to annealing and acid leaching processes to improve electrocatalytic properties of the Pt as well as create more durable catalysts that can withstand device conditions. Results highlight a tradeoff in properties between initial annealing and acid leaching. The final catalysts have a blend of beneficial properties for high activity and longer-term stability. Integrating PHI’s complementary analytical techniques allows a detailed understanding of the complex chemical nature of the catalysts, enabling the design of more robust and efficient PEMFC catalysts with reduced platinum content.