A industrialização das células a combustível de eletrólito polimérico sólido ainda é um desafio, devido principalmente aos elevados preços dos catalisadores, da membrana, cinética lenta da reação de redução do oxigênio e estabilidade da célula. Neste trabalho a eficiência e a estabilidade de catalisadores nanoparticulados bimetálicos de Pt-Cr suportados em carbono de elevada área superficial foram estudadas para serem utilizados como cátodos em células a combustível de eletrólito polimérico sólido. A caracterização física destes materiais foi realizada através de técnicas como difração de raios-X (DRX), energia dispersiva de raios-X (EDX), absorção de raios-X (XAS), espectroscopia de fotoelétrons excitados por raios-X (XPS) e microscopia eletrônica de transmissão (TEM). Para os estudos eletroquímicos dos catalisadores foram realizados levantamentos das curvas de polarização na célula unitária utilizando a membrana de Nafion®115, alimentadas com H2 no ânodo e O2/ar no cátodo em diferentes temperaturas e pressões, também foi utilizado a voltametria cíclica e stripping CO para a determinação da área ativa dos catalisadores e finalmente foram realizados os estudos de estabilidade simulando uma degradação acelerada mediante ciclos voltamétricos. Os resultados das curvas de polarização dos catalisadores comercial e preparados pelo método de poliol indicaram que com o aumento da quantidade de cromo obtem-se um decréscimo do desempenho. O catalisador Pt3Cr preparado pelo método de impregnação apresentou o pior desempenho. Os catalisadores Pt3Cr comercial e preparado pelo método do poliol possuem tamanhos de partícula muito próximos e diferentes quantidades de Cr na forma de liga, sendo que cromo no catalisador sintetizado pelo método de poliol apresenta-se na forma oxidada. Os resultados da degradação acelerada para estes catalisadores mostraram que o catalisador sintetizado pelo método de poliol apresentou melhor desempenho e estabilidade. / The commercialization of fuel cells is still a challenge of this technology, principally due to high price of the catalysts and membrane, slow kinetic of oxygen reduction reaction and stability of the cell. In this work the efficiency and stability of the nanoparticulated bimetallic PtCr supported on carbon of high surface area catalysts were studied to be used in the cathodes of proton exchange membrane fuel cell. The physical characterization of these materials was carried out by various techniques, such as X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The catalysts were characterized electrochemically by measuring the polarization curves, which were recorded in a single cell, using Nafion®115 membrane with anode fed with H2 and cathode fed with O2/air. The gases used were saturated with mili-Q water at different temperatures and pressures. Cyclic voltammetry and CO stripping experiments were used to measure the active surface areas of the catalysts and finally the stability studies were conducted, simulating the accelerated degradation through the cyclic voltammetry. The polarization curves results of the catalysts prepared by poliol method and of commercial catalysts showed that with the increase in the quantity of chromium a decline in performance occurs. The Pt3Cr catalyst prepared by impregnation method presented a poor performance. The catalysts prepared by poliol and commercial catalyst have near the same particle sizes and different amount of alloyed Cr, such that the chromium in poliol catalys is present in oxides form. The accelerated degradation results showed that catalyst prepared by poliol method presented a better performance and stability.

A industrialização das células a combustível de eletrólito polimérico sólido ainda é um desafio, devido principalmente aos elevados preços dos catalisadores, da membrana, cinética lenta da reação de redução do oxigênio e estabilidade da célula. Neste trabalho a eficiência e a estabilidade de catalisadores nanoparticulados bimetálicos de Pt-Cr suportados em carbono de elevada área superficial foram estudadas para serem utilizados como cátodos em células a combustível de eletrólito polimérico sólido. A caracterização física destes materiais foi realizada através de técnicas como difração de raios-X (DRX), energia dispersiva de raios-X (EDX), absorção de raios-X (XAS), espectroscopia de fotoelétrons excitados por raios-X (XPS) e microscopia eletrônica de transmissão (TEM). Para os estudos eletroquímicos dos catalisadores foram realizados levantamentos das curvas de polarização na célula unitária utilizando a membrana de Nafion®115, alimentadas com H2 no ânodo e O2/ar no cátodo em diferentes temperaturas e pressões, também foi utilizado a voltametria cíclica e stripping CO para a determinação da área ativa dos catalisadores e finalmente foram realizados os estudos de estabilidade simulando uma degradação acelerada mediante ciclos voltamétricos. Os resultados das curvas de polarização dos catalisadores comercial e preparados pelo método de poliol indicaram que com o aumento da quantidade de cromo obtem-se um decréscimo do desempenho. O catalisador Pt3Cr preparado pelo método de impregnação apresentou o pior desempenho. Os catalisadores Pt3Cr comercial e preparado pelo método do poliol possuem tamanhos de partícula muito próximos e diferentes quantidades de Cr na forma de liga, sendo que cromo no catalisador sintetizado pelo método de poliol apresenta-se na forma oxidada. Os resultados da degradação acelerada para estes catalisadores mostraram que o catalisador sintetizado pelo método de poliol apresentou melhor desempenho e estabilidade. / The commercialization of fuel cells is still a challenge of this technology, principally due to high price of the catalysts and membrane, slow kinetic of oxygen reduction reaction and stability of the cell. In this work the efficiency and stability of the nanoparticulated bimetallic PtCr supported on carbon of high surface area catalysts were studied to be used in the cathodes of proton exchange membrane fuel cell. The physical characterization of these materials was carried out by various techniques, such as X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The catalysts were characterized electrochemically by measuring the polarization curves, which were recorded in a single cell, using Nafion®115 membrane with anode fed with H2 and cathode fed with O2/air. The gases used were saturated with mili-Q water at different temperatures and pressures. Cyclic voltammetry and CO stripping experiments were used to measure the active surface areas of the catalysts and finally the stability studies were conducted, simulating the accelerated degradation through the cyclic voltammetry. The polarization curves results of the catalysts prepared by poliol method and of commercial catalysts showed that with the increase in the quantity of chromium a decline in performance occurs. The Pt3Cr catalyst prepared by impregnation method presented a poor performance. The catalysts prepared by poliol and commercial catalyst have near the same particle sizes and different amount of alloyed Cr, such that the chromium in poliol catalys is present in oxides form. The accelerated degradation results showed that catalyst prepared by poliol method presented a better performance and stability.

Thesis (Ph.D. (Physics)) --University of Limpopo, 2011 / Planewave pseudopotential calculations were conducted to predict the energetics and phase stability of Pt-Cr and Ru-Cr binary alloys. Validation of appropriate number of k-points and planewave energy cut-off was carried out for all studied systems. At the composition of A3B and AB3 (where A = Cr and B = Pt or Ru) phases, the heats of formation determined for five different structures, L12, A15, tP16, DOC and DO′ C are almost of the same magnitude and the relaxed structures show no rotation. We observed that the cubic L12 Pt3Cr is the most stable structure in agreement with the experiments. The results for PtCr3 indicate the negative heat of formation for the A15 phase whereas all the remaining studied phases have positive heats of formation. It is clear that the PtCr3 (A15) is the most stable structure. PtCr (L10) was found to be more stable compared with PtCr (B2) phase. The L12 Pt3Cr, A15 PtCr3 and L10 PtCr phases could be considered as possible coatings to cover the engines which are exposed to aggresive environments. The heats of formation of all studied compositions and phases of Ru-Cr systems are positive, these results suggest that, generally, studied Ru-Cr phases are not stable. The effect of pressure and doping were investigated on A15 RuCr3 structure which was reported to exist at a higher temperature. Elastic constants and moduli were investigated to determine the strength of the PtCr systems. The strength of PtCr L10 is greater than that of B2 phase. The ratio of shear to bulk modulus (G/B) has been used to predict the ductility or the brittleness of the material. It was found that Pt3Cr L12 is the most ductile phase among those considered in this study. The density of states were calculated to further analyze the stability of systems. The magnetic properties of Cr were studied using VASP which predicted an anti-ferromagnetic and a non-magnetic ground state for pure Cr. We have investigated the thermal stability at 0 GPa for different phases of Pt3Cr, PtCr3, PtCr and RuCr3 A15 phase, where we detected the soft modes at X, G, M and R points of the Brillouin zone from the phonon spectra of Pt3Cr A15 phase. Pt3Cr L12 and PtCr3 A15 are predicted as dynamically stable structures. RuCr3 A15 phase was found to be dynamically stable but thermodynamically unstable. Phonon DOS were studied to observe the modes of vibration and atoms that contribute to soft modes. Lastly we investigated the thermal expansion of Pt3Cr L12 and A15 phases. / The National Research Foundation,and the South African Gas Turbine Research Program