Sulfurized carbon xerogels as Pt support with enhanced activity for fuel cell applications

Abstract Carbon xerogels represent nowadays an outstanding alternative to carbon blacks for the preparation of efficient fuel cell electrocatalysts, due to their easily tunable and well developed mesoporous structure. To further improve both activity and durability of Pt/C catalysts, the introduction of heteroatoms (such as O, N, S, P, B, etc.) in the structure of carbon materials has been proposed. In the present work, highly mesoporous carbon xerogels (CXGs) have been subjected to a sulfurization process with elemental sulfur. The insertion of S into the carbon matrix does not compromise their mesoporous structure. Pt catalysts supported on sulfurized carbon xerogels show enhanced catalytic activity towards both the methanol electro-oxidation and the oxygen electro-reduction reactions, exceeding not only the performance of the catalyst supported on the bare xerogel, but also of the catalyst supported on a commercial carbon black. The sulfurization treatment is also effective in improving the resistance of Pt/CXG catalysts towards corrosion phenomena occurring at the fuel cell cathode.