Morphological Origins of the Enhanced Durability of a Pt/C Electrocatalyst Derived from Nafion®-Stabilized Colloidal Pt Nanoparticles

The degradation behavior of Pt/C electrocatalysts derived from Nafion(r)-stabilized colloidal Pt was found to be dependent on their morphology. Catalysts having agglomerated Pt particles showed significantly enhanced durability compared with those having well-dispersed Pt, and compared with a commercial (E-Tek) Pt/C catalyst. It is proposed that the preparation route starting from Nafion(r)-stabilized colloidal Pt results in a highly-effective distribution of Nafion(r) within the catalyst layer, which enhances durability via inhibition of particle growth mechanisms.