| 초록 |
For fuel cells to generate electricity by electrochemically reducing oxygen and oxidizing fuel into water, cathodic oxygen reduction plays an essential role in producing electricity and is a key limiting factor on the fuel cell performance. However, the large-scale practical application of fuel cells cannot be realized if the expensive platinum-based electrocatalysts for oxygen reduction reaction(ORR) cannot be replaced by other efficient, low-cost, and durable electrodes. Palladium(Pd) is much cheaper and is at least 50times more available than Pt. However, the catalytic activity and stability of Pd are not high enough to replace Pt in fuel cells. For improving the ORR activity of Pd-based electrocatalysts, I used support materials. In this work, I synthesized Pd nanoparticles supported on tungsten carbide(WC), Carbon nanotube(CNT) and graphene(GR). Strong interaction between Pd and WC suppresses the dissolution of Pd in the acidic medium. Also CNT and GR increase conductivity, surface area and dispersion of WC and Pd particles. The as-prepared catalysts exhibit high catalytic performance and durability for ORR in acid media. |
