Titanium nitride-carbon nanotube core-shell composites as effective electrocatalyst supports for low temperature fuel cells

Titanium nitride-carbon nanotube (TiN-CNT) core-shell nanocomposites were developed by a simplistic two step fabrication procedure and characterized by transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction and thermogravimetric analysis. These materials were utilized as platinum nanoparticle electrocatalyst supports (Pt/TiN-CNT) for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and methanol oxidation reaction (MOR), two important low temperature fuel cell processes. Improved ORR and MOR activities were demonstrated for Pt/TiN-CNTs compared with state of the art commercial Pt/C. Moreover, enhanced CO tolerance towards the MOR was demonstrated attributed to the interaction occurring between adsorbed CO molecules and the TiN-CNT supports. TiN-CNTs are thus presented as highly promising, novel electrocatalyst support materials with enhanced ORR and MOR performance attributed to their anisotropic morphology, enhanced electronic properties and conductivity, and distinct catalyst-support interactions.