Improvement in the electrochemical catalytic performance of fuel cell catalysts by controlling the size of carbon nanotubes as a catalyst carrier by centrifugation

A novel and very effective method to improve the electrochemical performance of fuel cells catalysts was developed. First, different sizes of polypyrimidine coated carbon nanotubes (Polypyrimidine/CNT) were separated by different centrifugal speeds (7, 18, 35, 72 g), and platinum particles were deposited on the hybrids to prepare fuel cell catalysts. The catalyst has good catalytic performance when the composite is sized-controlled at a speed of 18 g. Then, the pure carbon nanotubes in the Pt based polyaniline coated single-walled carbon nanutubes catalyst (PANI/CNT/Pt) were replaced with the size-controlled composite at a centrifugal speed of 18 g to prepare a binary catalyst (PANI/polypyrimidine/CNT 18/Pt). The electrochemical active area (ECSA) value of the catalyst prepared by this method was successfully increased by about 2 times compared with PANI/CNT/Pt, and the oxidation of methanol of the catalyst were effectively improved.