Atomic layer deposited platinum on tungsten oxide support as high performance hybrid catalysts for polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells

Under actual fuel cell electric vehicle operation with various harsh conditions, polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells exhibit significantly reduced performance owing to the carbon support corrosion. To overcome these limitations, this study used WO₃ as an anode catalyst support. Tungsten oxide can supply additional hydrogen ions and electrons via the decomposition of tungsten bronze (H_xWO₃) produced by the hydrogen spillover effect. Furthermore, H_xWO₃ also stabilizes the cell potential by scavenging oxygen infiltrated into the anode during start-up/shut-down situations. However, the initial performance degradation can be induced by the low electrical conductivity of the metal oxide. To compensate for this, Ar plasma surface treatment was performed on the WO₃ layer, and Pt nanoparticles were formed through atomic layer deposition to manufacture an extremely robust anode catalyst. Ultimately, it showed noticeably enhanced durability in diverse operating conditions compared to the commercial Pt/C and even displayed the effect as a reversal-tolerant anode.