High Pt Loading on Polydopamine Functionalized Graphene as a High Performance Cathode Electrocatalyst for Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells

Abstract

Morphology and size of platinum nanoparticles are a crucial factor in improving their catalytic activity and stability. Here, we firstly report the synthesis of high loading Pt nanoparticles on polydopamine reduced Graphene. The loading concentration of Pt (nanoparticles) NPs on Graphene can be adjusted in the range of 60-70%.With the insertion of polydopamine between Graphene oxide sheets, stacking of Graphene can be effectively prevented, promoting diffusion of oxygen molecules through the Graphene sheets and enhancing the oxygen reduction reaction electrocatalytic activity. Compared to commercial catalysts (i.e., state-of-the-art Pt/C catalyst) the as synthesized Pt supported polydopamine grafted reduced graphite oxide (Pt@PDA-rGO) hybrid displays very high oxygen reduction reaction catalytic activities. We propose a unique 2D profile of the polydopamine-rGO role as a barrier preventing leaching of Pt into the electrolyte. The fabricated electrodes were evaluated with electrochemical techniques for oxygen reduction reaction and the obtained results were further verified by the transmission electron microscopy micrographs on the microstructure of the integrated pt@PDA-rGO structures. It has been revealed that the electrochemical impedance spectroscopy technique can provide more explicit information than polarization curves on the performance dependence on charge-transfer and mass transport processes at different overpotential regions.