Performance of platinum nanoparticles / multiwalled carbon nanotubes / bacterial cellulose composite as anode catalyst for proton exchange membrane fuel cells

Abstract

Highly dispersed platinum (Pt) nanoparticles / multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) on bacterial cellulose (BC) as anode catalysts for proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFC) were prepared with various precursors and their electro-catalytic activities towards hydrogen oxidation at 70°C under non-humidified conditions. The composite was prepared by deposition of Pt nanoparticles and MWCNTs on BC gel by impregnation method using a water solution of metal precursors and MWCNTs followed by reducing reaction using a hydrogen gas. The composite was characterized by using TEM (transmission electron microscopy), EDS (energy dispersive spectroscopy), and XRD (X-ray diffractome-try) techniques. TEM images and XRD patterns both lead to the observation of spherical metallic Pt nanoparticles with mean diameter of 3-11 nm well impregnated into the BC fibrils. Preliminary tests on a single cell indicate that renewable BC is a good prospect to be explored as a membrane in fuel cell field.