(A) study on proton exchange membrane fuel cell catalyst using polystyrene-based carbon supports via emulsion polymerization

Abstract

The proton exchange membrane fuel cell, an eco-friendly fuel cell, has recently been in the spotlight in many research fields. There are two types reactions in the fuel cell , an oxygen reduction reaction and an hydrogen oxidation reaction, both of them requires a platinum catalyst. However, the platinum catalyst occupies a large part in terms of price, and shows low stability as the reaction. Therefore, improving the activity and durability of such a platinum-based catalyst system can reduce the amount of catalyst as well as increase the lifespan, which is one of the problems that continue to challenge in catalytic chemistry. In this thesis, we present a catalyst synthesis method that improves the activity and durability of existing catalysts by using the synthesis method of particles supporting the catalyst by emulsion polymerization. Through a simple polymerization method, it could be seen that a carbon supporting particle exhibits high yield even with low cost . Also it shows high activity and durability even with a very small amount of platinum catalyst. In addition, we can study about size effect of the supporting particles on catalysts efficiency could be identified. Furthermore, it is expected that various studies in the design of catalysts using a polymer support can be developed.