Home › Cell Biology › On the Preparation and Testing of Fuel Cell Catalysts Using the Thin Film Rotating Disk Electrode Method
Cell Biology JoVE (Open Access) Citable · DOI

On the Preparation and Testing of Fuel Cell Catalysts Using the Thin Film Rotating Disk Electrode Method

DOI: 10.3791/57105-v
What you'll learn
  • ✓ Synthesize Pt/C fuel cell catalysts using established protocols
  • ✓ Quantify platinum loading via UV-Vis spectroscopy
  • ✓ Prepare catalyst inks and thin films on glassy carbon electrodes
  • ✓ Characterize catalyst electrochemical performance using rotating disk electrode method
Protocol

Preparing and testing Pt/C fuel cell catalysts is subject to continuous discussion in the scientific community with respect to reproducibility and best practice. With the presented work, we intend to present a step-by-step tutorial to make and test Pt/C catalysts, which can serve as benchmark for novel catalyst systems.

Difficulty
advanced
Total time
~4–6 hours per catalyst batch (synthesis, characterization, and RDE measurements)

Steps

1
Synthesize 50 wt% Platinum on Carbon catalyst

Prepare Pt/C catalyst through chemical reduction or impregnation method on carbon support material. This establishes the baseline catalyst material for subsequent testing.

▶ 00:52
2
Determine platinum loading via UV-Vis spectroscopy

Measure actual platinum weight percentage on the carbon support using ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy to confirm synthesis yield and metal loading accuracy.

▶ 02:55
3
Prepare catalyst ink and fabricate thin film

Disperse catalyst powder in solvent, sonicate to create homogeneous ink, and deposit controlled volume onto a glassy carbon disk electrode to form a uniform thin film.

▶ 04:38
4
Perform rotating disk electrode measurements

Execute electrochemical testing of the Pt/C thin film catalyst at varied rotation rates and potentials to assess catalytic activity and kinetic parameters.

▶ 06:45
5
Analyze Pt/C catalyst thin film characterization results

Evaluate electrochemical data from RDE measurements to determine catalyst performance metrics such as mass activity and stability benchmarks.

▶ 08:59
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