Methodical Crafting of Platinum Based Electro catalysts for Fuel Cell Application

Abstract

According to the reports of the National Geographic Society the natural resources of newlinethis planet are on the verge of extinction, while trying to meet the global energy demand. newlineThe burning of fossil fuels releases harmful gases like carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, newlineetc. leading to global warming, but even till this date, it is still in practice. This has become newlinea global concern due to its detrimental impact on all living species on earth. Therefore the newlineexploration of an alternative source of energy that has zero emission becomes very vital. newlineAmong the various energy conversion devices, the fuel cell, (that converts chemical newlineenergy to electrical energy) has drawn increased attention in recent times as a better newlinealternative to the other contemporary energy conversion devices like solar cell, windmill, newlinehydropower etc. by virtue of its higher efficiency. The Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel newlineCells (PEMFC) find immense use in trains and vehicles by virtue of their lower newlinetemperature of operation that enables them to have a fast start-up and higher power newlinedensities. However, the commercialization of this technology remains largely hindered newlinedue to the sluggish kinetics of the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) (occurring at the newlinecathode) and the higher cost of the state of art catalyst Platinum (Pt), both of which are newlineessential for its functioning. Hence cost cutting without compromising on the durability newlineof the catalyst are some of the key concerns that need to be addressed before the PEMFC newlinetechnology can attain successful commercialization. The functioning of fuel cell majorly newlinerevolves around the catalyst layer. Hence, degradation of this layer is a major bottleneck newlinethat eventually leads to voltage loss and limits the life and performance of the fuel cell newlinestack in operation. This thesis is mainly aimed at the development of novel Pt based newlineelectrocatalysts that can help to lower the overall cost without compromising on its impact newlinein catalyzing the slower ORR newline