The polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) converts the chemical energy of hydrogen and oxygen (air) into usable electrical energy. At the cathode (the positive electrode), a considerable amount of platinum is generally required to catalyse the sluggish oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). This has implications regarding the cost in high-power applications, and for making a broad commercialisation of the PEMFC technology possible, it would be desirable to lower the amount of Pt used to catalyse the ORR. In this thesis a number of techniques are described that have been developed in order to investigate catalytic activity at the cathode of the PEMFC. These methodologies resemble traditional three-electrode research in liquid electrolytes, including cyclic voltammetry in inert gas, but with the advantage of performing the experiments in the true PEMFC environment. From the porous electrode studies it was seen that it is possible to reach mass activities close to 0.2 gPt/kW at potentials above 0.65 V at 60 ◦C, but that the mass activities may become considerably lower when raising the temperature to 80 ◦C and changing the measurement methodology regarding potential cycling limits and electrode manufacturing. The model electrode studies rendered some interesting results regarding the ORR at the Pt/Nafion interface. Using a novel measurement setup for measuring on catalysed planar glassy carbon disks, it was seen that humidity has a considerable effect on the ORR kinetics of Pt. The Tafel slopes become steeper and the activity decreases when the humidity level of the inlet gases decreases. Since no change in the the electrochemical area of the Pt/Nafion interface could be seen, these kinetic phenomena were ascribed to a lowered Pt oxide coverage at the lower humidity level, in combination with a lower proton activity. Using bi-layered nm-thick model electrodes deposited directly on Nafion membranes, the behaviour of TiO2 and other metal oxides in combination with Pt in the PEMFC environment was investigated. Kinetically, no intrinsic effect could be seen for the model electrodes when adding a metal oxide, but compared to porous electrodes, the surface (specific) activity of a 3 nm film of Pt deposited on Nafion seems to be higher than for a porous electrode using ∼4 nm Pt grains deposited on a carbon support. Comparing the cyclic voltammograms in N2, this higher activity could be ascribed to less Pt oxide formation, possibly due to a particle size effect. For these bi-layered films it was also seen that TiO2 may operate as a proton-conducting electrolyte in the PEMFC. / I polymerelektrolytbränslecellen (PEMFC) omvandlas den kemiska energin hos vätgas och syrgas (luft) direkt till användbar elektrisk energi. På katoden (den positiva elektroden) krävs betydande mängder platina för att katalysera den tröga syrereduktionsreaktionen (ORR). Detta inverkar på kostnaden för högeffektsapplikationer, och för att göra en bred kommersialisering av PEMFC-teknologin möjlig skulle det vara önskvärt att minska den Pt-mängd som används för att katalysera ORR. I denna avhandling beskrivs ett antal tekniker som utvecklats för att undersöka katalytisk aktivitet på katoden i PEMFC. Metodiken liknar traditionella treelektrodexperiment i vätskeformig elektrolyt, med cyklisk voltammetri i inert gas, men med fördelen att försöken utförs i den riktiga PEMFC-miljön. I försök med porösa elektroder visades att det är möjligt att nå massaktiviteter nära 0.2 gPt/kW för potentialer över 0.65 V vid 60 ◦C, men massaktiviteterna kan bli betydligt lägre om temperaturen höjs till 80 ◦C, och om potentialsvepgränser och elektrodentillverkningsmetod ändras. Försök med modellelektroder resulterade i intressanta resultat rörande ORR i gränsskiktet Pt/Nafion. Genom att använda en ny metodik för att mäta på katalyserade plana elektroder av vitröst kol (glassy carbon), var det möjligt att se att gasernas fuktighet har en betydande inverkan på ORR-kinetiken hos Pt. Tafellutningarna blir brantare och aktiviteten minskar när inloppsgasernas fuktighetsgrad minskar. Eftersom den elektrokemiska arean hos Pt/Nafion-gränsskiktet inte ändrades, ansågs dessa kinetiska effekter bero på en lägre täckningsgrad av Ptoxider vid lägre fuktigheter, i kombination med lägre protonaktivitet. Genom att använda Nafionmembran belagda med nm-tjocka tvåskiktsmodellelektroder undersöktes hur Pt i kombination med TiO2 och andra metalloxider verkar i PEMFC-miljön. Kinetiskt sett hade tillsatsen av metalloxider ingen inre påverkan på aktiviteten, men vid jämförelse med porösa elektroder tycks den specifika ytaktiviteten vara högre hos en 3 nm film av Pt på Nafion än för en porös elektrod baserad på ∼4 nm Pt-korn belagda på ett kolbärarmaterial. Jämför man de cykliska voltammogrammen i N2, kan den högre aktiviteten tillskrivas en lägre grad av Pt-oxidbildning, vilket i sin tur kan bero på en storlekseffekt hos Pt-partiklarna. Försöken med dessa tvåskiktselektroder visade också att TiO2 kan verka som protonledande elektrolyt i PEMFC. / QC 20100706

The polymer electrolyte fuel cell converts the chemical energy in a fuel, e.g. hydrogen or methanol, and oxygen into electrical energy. The high efficiency and the possibility to use fuel from renewable sources make them attractive as energy converters in future sustainable energy systems. Great progress has been made in the development of the PEFC during the last decade, but still improved lifetime as well as lowered cost is needed before a broad commercialization can be considered. The electrodes play an important role in this since the cost of platinum used as catalyst constitutes a large part of the total cost for the fuel cell. A large part of the degradation in performance can also be related to the degradation of the porous electrode and a decreased electrochemically active Pt surface. In this thesis, different fuel cell reactions, catalysts and support materials are investigated with the aim to investigate the possibility to improve the activity, stability and utilisation of platinum in the fuel cell electrodes. An exchange current density, i0, of 770 mA cm-2Pt was determined for the hydrogen oxidation reaction in the fuel cell with the model electrodes. This is higher than previously found in literature and implies that the kinetic losses on the anode are very small. The anode loading could therefore be reduced without imposing too high potential losses if good mass transport of hydrogen is ensured. It was also shown that the electrochemically active surface area, activity and stability of the electrode can be affected by the support material. An increased activity was observed at higher potentials for Pt deposited on tungsten oxide, which was related to the postponed oxide formation for Pt on WOx. An improved stability was seen for Pt deposited on tungsten oxide and on iridium oxide. A better Pt stability was also observed for Pt on a low surface non-graphitised support compared to a high surface graphitised support. Pt deposited on titanium and tungsten oxide, displayed an enhanced electrochemically active surface area in the cyclic voltammograms, which was explained by the good proton conductivity of the metal oxides. CO-stripping was shown to provide the most reliable measure of the electrochemically active surface area of the electrode in the fuel cell. It was also shown to be a useful tool in characterization of the degradation of the electrodes. In the study of oxidation of small organic compounds, the reaction was shown to be affected by the off transport of reactants and by the addition of chloride impurities. Pt and PtRu were affected differently, which enabled extraction of information about the reaction mechanisms and rate determining steps. The polymer electrolyte fuel cell converts the chemical energy in a fuel, e.g. hydrogen or methanol, and oxygen into electrical energy. The high efficiency and the possibility to use fuel from renewable sources make them attractive as energy converters in future sustainable energy systems. Great progress has been made in the development of the PEFC during the last decade, but still improved lifetime as well as lowered cost is needed before a broad commercialization can be considered. The electrodes play an important role in this since the cost of platinum used as catalyst constitutes a large part of the total cost for the fuel cell. A large part of the degradation in performance can also be related to the degradation of the porous electrode and a decreased electrochemically active Pt surface. In this thesis, different fuel cell reactions, catalysts and support materials are investigated with the aim to investigate the possibility to improve the activity, stability and utilisation of platinum in the fuel cell electrodes. An exchange current density, i0, of 770 mA cm-2Pt was determined for the hydrogen oxidation reaction in the fuel cell with the model electrodes. This is higher than previously found in literature and implies that the kinetic losses on the anode are very small. The anode loading could therefore be reduced without imposing too high potential losses if good mass transport of hydrogen is ensured. It was also shown that the electrochemically active surface area, activity and stability of the electrode can be affected by the support material. An increased activity was observed at higher potentials for Pt deposited on tungsten oxide, which was related to the postponed oxide formation for Pt on WOx. An improved stability was seen for Pt deposited on tungsten oxide and on iridium oxide. A better Pt stability was also observed for Pt on a low surface non-graphitised support compared to a high surface graphitised support. Pt deposited on titanium and tungsten oxide, displayed an enhanced electrochemically active surface area in the cyclic voltammograms, which was explained by the good proton conductivity of the metal oxides. CO-stripping was shown to provide the most reliable measure of the electrochemically active surface area of the electrode in the fuel cell. It was also shown to be a useful tool in characterization of the degradation of the electrodes. In the study of oxidation of small organic compounds, the reaction was shown to be affected by the off transport of reactants and by the addition of chloride impurities. Pt and PtRu were affected differently, which enabled extraction of information about the reaction mechanisms and rate determining steps. / Polymerelektrolytbränslecellen omvandlar den kemiska energin i ett bränsle, exv. vätgas eller metanol, och syrgas  till elektrisk energi. Den höga verkningsgraden samt möjligheten att använda bränsle från förnyelsebara källor gör dem attraktiva som energiomvandlare i framtida hållbara energisystem. En enorm utveckling har skett under det senaste årtiondet men för att kunna introducera polymerelektrolytbränslecellen på marknaden i en större skala måste livstiden öka och kostnaden minska. Elektroderna har en central del i detta då den platina som används som katalysator står för en stor del av kostnaden för bränslecellen. En stor del av prestandaförsämringen med tiden hos bränslecellen kan också relateras till en degradering av den porösa elektroden och en minskad elektrokemiskt aktiv platinayta. I denna avhandling studeras olika bränslecellsreaktioner samt olika katalysatorer och supportmaterial med målet att undersöka möjligheten att förbättra platinakatalysatorns aktivitet, stabilitet och utnyttjandegrad i bränslecellselektroder. Utbytesströmtätheten, i0, för vätgasoxidationen i bränslecell bestämdes till 770 mA cm-2Pt genom försök med modellelektroderna. Denna var högre än vad som framkommit tidigare i litteratur, vilket visar att de kinetiska förlusterna på anoden är mycket små. Katalysatormängden på anoden borde därför kunna minskas utan några större potentialförluster så länge masstransporten av vätgas är tillräcklig. Den elektrokemiskt aktiva ytan, aktiviteten och stabiliteten hos elektroden visade sig kunna påverkas av supportmaterialet. Platina deponerad på volfram oxid hade en högre aktivitet vid höga potentialer vilket relaterades till den förskjutna oxidbildningen på ytan. Elektroder med platina på volframoxid och iridiumoxid var mer stabila än elektroder med platina på kol. Det var även platina på ett icke grafitiserat kol med låg yta jämfört med platina på grafitiserade kol med en hög yta. Platina på metalloxidskikt av volfram och titan visade en högre elektrokemiskt aktiv yta i de cykliska voltamogrammen än platina på kol, vilket förklarades med att båda metalloxiderna har en bra protonledningsförmåga. CO-stripping gav det säkraste måttet på den elektrokemiskt aktiva ytan i en elektrod i bränslecell. CO-stripping visade sig även vara användbart för karaktärisering av degraderingen av en elektrod. Oxidationen av små organiska föreningar påverkades av borttransporten av intermediärer samt av kloridföroreningar. Pt aoch PtRu påverkades olika vilket gjorde det möjligt att få fram information om reaktionsmekanismer och hastighetsbestämmande steg. / QC 20101014