Composite Titanium Silicon Carbide as a Promising Catalyst Support for High-Temperature Proton-Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell Electrodes

Abstract

This manuscript focuses on the assessment of a composite titanium silicon carbide (SiCTiC) as a catalyst support for high-temperature proton-exchange membrane fuel cells (HT-PEMFCs). The support showed very high thermal and electrochemical resistances under harsh conditions (phosphoric acid). Pt nanoparticles were successfully deposited on the new SiCTiC support and it demonstrated a higher stability (lower agglomeration of the nanoparticles) than the more conventional Vulcan carbon-based catalyst, both in a commercial formulation and as prepared in the lab, with the same procedure as that used for the novel carbide material under very harsh conditions.