A DEMS study on the electrochemical oxidation of a high surface area carbon black

The intention of the study presented here is to investigate the electrochemical oxidation processes of a standard high surface area (HSA) carbon black, commonly used as a support for polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) catalysts. A methodology is presented, in which a combination of cyclic voltammetry (CV) and differential electrochemical mass spectrometry (DEMS) can be used to electrochemically characterise HSA carbon blacks, and to study their electrochemical oxidation effectively. It is found that the electrochemical oxidation of a Ketjen Black EC300 carbon is dynamic, and that the initial electrochemical oxidation of a pristine sample results in the complete passivation of the carbon surface inhibiting further oxidation, if the carbon is not reduced in a low potential excursion. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.