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Carbon – platinum nanostructured catalysts for hydrogen fuel cells

L. PETRĂŞESCU1,* , V. CIUPINĂ1,2, Ş. G. TUTUN3, R. VLĂDOIU1, G. PRODAN1, C. POROŞNICU4, E. VASILE5, I. PRIOTEASA3, R. MANU3

Affiliation

  1. "Ovidius” University of Constanta, Mamaia 124, Constanţa, 900527, Romania
  2. Academy of Romanian Scientists, Independenţei 54, Bucharest 050094, Romania
  3. Faculty of Physics, University of Bucharest, Atomiştilor 405, Măgurele, Ilfov
  4. National Institute for Laser, Plasma and Radiation Physics, PO Box MG-36, 077125, Bucharest, Romania
  5. University „Politehnica” of Bucharest, No. 1-7 Gh. Polizu Street, Bucharest 011061, Romania

Abstract

As the necessity for energy keeps on growing it has become a pressing concern the development of new methods of producing energy both efficient and harmless for our environment. In the past the limiting factors of renewable energy were the storage and transport of that energy. By using fuel cells and hydrogen based technology the electrical energy from renewable sources can be distributed where and when is needed, clean, efficient and sustainable. Nanotechnology is the area of interest in the research of new methods of improving the performance and reducing the costs of the catalysts used in fuel cells [1, 2, 3, 4]. In order to prepare nanostructured carbon based films (C – Glass + Pt) for use in the anode and cathode parts of fuel cells, the method of Thermionic Vacuum Arc (TVA) was used in one electronic gun configuration. One of the main advantages of this technology is the bombardment of the growing thin film just by the ions of the depositing material. Moreover, the energy of ions can be controlled. Thermo-electrons emitted by an externally heated cathode and focused by a Wehnelt focusing cylinder are accelerated towards the anode whose material is evaporated and bright plasma is ignited by a high voltage DC supply [5]. The nanostructured C – Glass + Pt films were characterized by Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), electron diffraction, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Energy Dispersive X-Ray Spectrometry (EDXS) and magneto-resistance analysis. In the presence of a magnetic field of 0.3 T all the films that were investigated showed a slight drop in resistance. The TEM analysis showed the investigated films have a uniform morphology and amorphous structure, SEM also revealed the uniform character of the surface while EDXS confirmed the presence of Platinum..

Keywords

C – Glass + Pt, TEM, SEM, electron diffraction, EDXS, TVA, Magnetoresistance, fuel cells.

Submitted at: Dec. 11, 2014
Accepted at: Sept. 9, 2015

Citation

L. PETRĂŞESCU, V. CIUPINĂ, Ş. G. TUTUN, R. VLĂDOIU, G. PRODAN, C. POROŞNICU, E. VASILE, I. PRIOTEASA, R. MANU, Carbon – platinum nanostructured catalysts for hydrogen fuel cells, Journal of Optoelectronics and Advanced Materials Vol. 17, Iss. 9-10, pp. 1464-1470 (2015)