Cost-effective and durable Ru-sputtered Pt/C-based membrane–electrode assembly for passive direct methanol fuel cells

The present study demonstrates and evaluates the catalytic durability of ruthenium (Ru)-sputtered Pt/C-based membrane–electrode assembly (MEA) for passive direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs). Sputtering of Ru onto the Pt/C catalyst layer on the electrolyte membrane reduces the use of Ru by more than 80% compared with conventional Pt-Ru/C (50:50 wt.%)-based MEAs. The Ru-sputtered MEA exhibited a high catalytic durability even when a high concentration of methanol (4 M) was used as fuel. In addition to the marked improvement in the catalytic durability, an increased performance was observed with passive DMFCs using Ru-sputtered MEAs. The results of the present study suggest that the new MEA fabrication method based on Ru-sputtered Pt/C considerably enhanced both the performance and durability of the cell while reducing the cost involved in fabrication. Furthermore, this study suggests ways …