Carbon supports for low-temperature fuel cell catalysts

To increase their electrochemically active surface area, catalysts supported on high surface area materials, commonly carbons, are widely used in low-temperature fuel cells. Recent studies have revealed that the physical properties of the carbon support can greatly affect the electrochemical properties of the fuel cell catalyst. It has been reported that carbon materials with both high surface area and good crystallinity can not only provide a high dispersion of Pt nanoparticles, but also facilitate electron transfer, resulting in better device performance. On this basis, novel non-conventional carbon materials have attracted much interest as electrocatalyst support because of their good electrical and mechanical properties and their versatility in pore size and pore distribution tailoring. These materials present a different morphology than carbon blacks both at the nanoscopic level in terms of their pore texture (for example mesopore carbon) and at the macroscopic level in terms of their form (for example microsphere). The examples are supports produced from ordered mesoporous carbons, carbon aerogels, carbon nanotubes, carbon nanohorns, carbon nanocoils and carbon nanofibers. The challenge is to develop carbon supports with high surface area, good electrical conductivity, suitable porosity to allow good reactant flux, and high stability in fuel cell environment, utilizing synthesis methods simple and not too expensive. This paper presents an overview of carbon supports for Pt-based catalysts, with particular attention on new carbon materials. The effect of substrate characteristics on catalyst properties, as electrocatalytic activity and stability in fuel cell environment, is discussed.