Enhanced performance of high-temperature proton exchange membrane fuel cell using mesoporous hollow TiO2@C sphere support

Yuan Chen, Huiyuan Liu, Qiang Ma, Zhuo Li, Mengyue Lu, Qian Xu, Huaneng Su and Weiqi Zhang

Energy, 2025, vol. 335, issue C

Abstract: High-temperature proton exchange membrane fuel cells (HT-PEMFCs) have attracted considerable attention due to their accelerated oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) kinetics, enhanced tolerance to fuel impurities, and simplified water management compared to low-temperature PEMFCs. However, severe carbon corrosion, Pt electrocatalyst degradation, and phosphate poisoning, which lead to high cost and unsatisfactory lifespan, impede the large-scale application of HT-PEMFCs. Herein, we develop a mesoporous hollow TiO2@carbon core-shell composite (MH-TiO2@carbon) as a support of Pt nanoparticles to serve as a cathode electrocatalyst in HT-PEMFCs. The Pt/MH-TiO2@C demonstrates superior performance with ORR mass activity 1.83-fold higher and specific activity 1.28-fold greater than commercial Pt/C. Furthermore, Pt/MH-TiO2@C exhibits remarkable durability compared to Pt/C after accelerated durability test conducted in both three-electrode electrochemical cell and practical HT-PEMFC single-cell. The Pt/MH-TiO2@C single-cell shows only an 8.52 % reduction in peak power density, significantly outperforming the 19.95 % decrease observed in Pt/C single-cell. These enhanced ORR activity and durability of Pt/MH-TiO2@C originate from the inherent structural characteristic of the MH-TiO2@C architecture, strong metal-support interaction between Pt and TiO2, and effective resistance to phosphate anion adsorption. This work provides a practical strategy for developing effective and durable Pt-based electrocatalysts, advancing the commercialization roadmap for HT-PEMFCs.

Keywords: High-temperature proton exchange membrane fuel cells; Mesoporous hollow sphere support; Oxygen reduction reaction; Pt-based electrocatalysts; Durability (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:energy:v:335:y:2025:i:c:s0360544225037636

DOI: 10.1016/j.energy.2025.138121

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