Durability of carbon/conducting polymer composite supported Pt catalysts prepared by supercritical carbon dioxide deposition

Polypyrrole (PPy)/carbon (C) composites were synthesized by oxidative chemical polymerization and used as support material for Pt nanoparticles. PPy/C supported Pt nanoparticles were prepared by using a promising catalyst preparation method, supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO(2)) deposition. The prepared materials were characterized by using BET, TGA, XRD, and TEM techniques. Cyclic voltammetry was used in order to determine the electrocatalytic activity of the prepared catalyst for hydrogen oxidation and oxygen reduction reactions that occur in proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs). The Pt loading obtained over the composite material was around 10%. TEM results showed highly dispersed and small nanoparticles over the composite material by using scCO(2) deposition. Pt dissolution/agglomeration and carbon corrosion tests were applied to the composite supported Pt catalyst in order to determine its durability.