Platinum carbon black catalyst is an electrochemical catalyst prepared by loading precious metal platinum on activated carbon black (VXC72 or VXC72R). Platinum carbon black catalyst is mainly used for chemical reactions such as hydrogen oxidation, methanol oxidation and oxygen reduction in fuel cells, and is a very common noble metal catalyst. During the reaction process of fuel cells, according to the different electrodes, the catalyst of PEMFC is also different. The anode catalyst usually targets different fuels, and uses electrocatalysts with high stability and high activity, which have a good catalytic effect on hydrogen oxidation. Cathodic electrocatalysts mainly consider fuel penetration and oxygen reduction stability. Since the exchange current density of oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) is much lower than that of hydrogen oxidation reaction (HOR), the general polarization loss mainly comes from the cathode side (air side). Therefore, the research focus is on improving the activity of cathode side catalysts.

     At present, the cathode and anode catalysts commonly used in proton exchange membrane fuel cells are platinum carbon black catalysts (Pt/C) or platinum black catalysts. Platinum carbon black is a supported catalyst dispersed from Pt nanoparticles onto carbon black supports. Unlike traditional chemical platinum carbon catalysts (platinum loading is less than 5%), platinum carbon black catalysts used in hydrogen fuel cells generally have a platinum loading capacity of more than 20%, which is very difficult to prepare. Platinum carbon black catalysts for hydrogen fuel cells require platinum nanoparticles with a particle size of 2 to 5 nm, a narrow particle size distribution, and a uniform dispersion on carbon. Since the surface energy of 2-5nm platinum nanoparticles is very large, it is easy to agglomerate, so the preparation of platinum carbon catalysts with a particle size of 2-5nm, a narrow particle size distribution, and uniform dispersion on carbon is very difficult, requiring special preparation process treatment. 

     There are also many factors that affect the catalyst, including the size of the crystal and the degree of dispersion of the crystal, as well as the synthesis method of the catalyst, which also affects the efficacy of the catalyst. Although the platinum carbon black catalyst has high catalytic properties for oxygen reduction, the improper use of the catalyst index and also causes the oxygen reduction process to be not a complete electronic reaction, thus reducing the catalytic activity, and also has a great impact on the stability of the proton exchange membrane. Not only that, in the working system of methanol fuel cells, platinum electrocatalysts are also easily poisoned by carbon monoxide, hydrogen sulfide, etc., and the anti-permeability is not high. Methanol penetration greatly affects the cathode catalytic activity. Therefore, the research focuses on selecting more active and selective cathode catalysts, selecting high-activation, low-toxicity, anti-osmosis, and low-cost catalyst materials, fusing raw materials through solvents, adding metal precursors, adjusting pH, etc., adding reducing agents at a specific temperature to obtain electrocatalysts with metal platinum carbon black supports.   

physicochemical parameters