Platinum/Carbon (Pt/C, Premetek) Electrocatalysts for Electrolyzer and Fuel Cell, 0.5 g/bottle, CEFCEPPtC
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Platinum on Carbon (Pt/C) is the industry-standard electrocatalyst for low-temperature electrochemical devices. It consists of highly dispersed platinum nanoparticles (typically 1–5 nm) anchored to a high-surface-area carbon support (like Vulcan XC-72). Premetek offers a wide variety of Platinum on Carbon (Pt/C) electrocatalysts specifically designed for use in proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFC) and electrolyzers.
In a Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell (PEMFC), Pt/C is used at both electrodes to convert chemical energy into electricity. (1) Anode (Hydrogen Oxidation Reaction - HOR): Platinum is exceptionally efficient at breaking the H-H bond. Because this reaction is naturally fast, anode platinum loading is typically very low (around 0.05 mg/cm²). (2) Cathode (Oxygen Reduction Reaction - ORR): This is the "bottleneck" of fuel cell performance. Platinum facilitates the 4-electron reduction of O2 to H2O. This reaction is kinetically sluggish, requiring much higher Pt loading (around 0.3–0.4 mg/cm²) to reach target power densities. (3) Challenges: The cathode environment is highly corrosive (high voltage and acidic), leading to Ostwald ripening (Pt particles merging) and carbon support corrosion over time.
In a PEM Water Electrolyzer (PEMWE), Pt/C is primarily used on only one side. (1) Cathode (Hydrogen Evolution Reaction - HER): Pt/C is the "gold standard" for the HER. It provides the lowest overpotential (energy penalty) for combining protons (H+) and electrons to form H2 gas. (2) Anode (Oxygen Evolution Reaction - OER): Pt/C is generally NOT used here. The high oxidative potentials at the electrolyzer anode (often >1.4V) would cause the carbon support to burn away (oxidize to CO2) almost instantly. Instead, noble metal oxides like Iridium Oxide (IrO2) or Ruthenium Oxide (RuO2) on non-carbon supports are used.
| Part Number |
CEFCEPPtC (C-EFC-EPPtC) |
| Electrocatalyst Composition |
Highly dispersed platinum nanoparticles Vulcan XC-72 or Ketjen Black |
| Platinum Content | 5 wt%, 10 wt%, 20 wt%, 40 wt%, and 60 wt% |
| Metal Surface Area |
~200 m2/g |
| Catalyst BET Surface Area: |
~230 m2/g |
| Metal Crystallite Size |
~1.0 nm |
| Catalyst granule size D(100) |
≤ 75 µm |
| Impurities |
≤ 500 ppm |
| Package Size | 0.5 g/bottle |
Notes: Please try to store the Pt/C powder in a dry place.
References:
- V. Karimi, et al. An Effective Route to Enhance Pt/C Electrocatalyst Durability through Addition of Ceramic Nanoparticles to Facilitate Pt Redeposition, ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces 2024, 16, 48, 65993–66007.
- X. Ren, et al. Current progress and performance improvement of Pt/C catalysts for fuel cells, J. Mater. Chem. A, 2020,8, 24284-24306.