Synthesis of nanosized Zn₂PtO₄

Excerpt

Platinum and platinum compounds are used in numerous catalysis applications. In the fuel cell field, platinum is the main choice of catalyst material. Platinum forms a significant cost of the fuel cell system, and lots of research effort strives to decrease the platinum amount while preserving the efficiency of the catalyst material. This can be achieved in a number of ways, such as decreasing the particle size of the platinum particles, or by using more efficient platinum alloys. However, recent studies have shown that the platinum catalyst is subject to degradation in the relatively harsh fuel cell environment [1], and smaller particles become more sensitive to degradation due to their higher specific surface area. Platinum alloys, such as Pt–Ru, have shown to be more efficient catalysts, and to be less sensitive to catalyst poisoning, compared to pure platinum [2, 3]. Catalyst poisoning can occur in for example direct methanol fuel cells (DMFC) when methanol leaks through the polymer electrolyte membrane and reaches the cathode side [4], or on the anode side, when methanol is oxidized to CO. The main disadvantage with the platinum alloys though, is that they degrade more rapidly than pure platinum in a fuel cell. …