Objective
Proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) in combination with hydrogen are considered one of the best candidates to help to mitigate the climate change. However, there are still some challenges to release this technology to the market. One of the main costly issues for its commercialization is the amount of the platinum (Pt) that is used as catalyst, especially in the cathode where the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) takes place. Even though progress has been made during the past years decreasing the Pt loading, the utilization and stability of Pt must be increased to meet the application demands by changing the current commercial carbon support (mainly Vulcan XC-72). Here it is proposed the use of a hydrophobic carbon nanofiber (CNF) layer as Pt support that combine high stability to oxidation, high specific surface area without micropores and large pore volume.
The first part of the project consists of the growth of a CNF layer, which is directly grown on one side of a carbon paper substrate. The first objective of the project is the direct deposition of Pt nanoparticles on only one side of the CNF layer while avoiding a deep penetration of the Pt particles and maintaining certain hydrophobicity. The external location of the Pt particles, close to the central membrane, is crucial for a high fuel cell performance. On the other hand, certain hydrophobicity is needed to improve the evacuation of water formed in the cathode eliminating, or at least reducing, the use of PTFE. The second objective is the study of the influence of the addition of proton conductive polymers in the electrocatalytic ORR of the electrode. Finally, the last objective is the fuel cell electrochemical characterization of the electrodes by preparing membrane electrode assemblies (MEAs) by using commercial and/or in-house prepared anodes and membranes, so that the fuel cell performance can be measured and compared with a commercial MEA based on Pt/Vulcan XC-72.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- natural sciences chemical sciences inorganic chemistry transition metals
- natural sciences chemical sciences catalysis
- engineering and technology nanotechnology nano-materials
- natural sciences earth and related environmental sciences atmospheric sciences climatology climatic changes
- engineering and technology environmental engineering energy and fuels fuel cells
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Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
FP7-PEOPLE-2011-IEF
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Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Coordinator
B15 2TT Birmingham
United Kingdom
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.