Development of a self-supported single-wall carbon nanotube-based gas diffusion electrode with spatially well-defined reaction and diffusion layers

This work reports on the development of a solvent-free method for the fabrication of a self-supported single-wall carbon nanotubes electrode, which is based on successive sedimentation of both SWCNT/surfactant and PtRu-SWCNT/surfactant suspensions followed by a thermal treatment at 130 degrees C. The as-prepared self-supported electrode showed sufficient mechanical strength for half-cell investigation and membrane-electrodes assembly fabrication. By using a Pt catalyst loading of 1 mg cm(-2), the overall thickness of the gas diffusion electrode reached 95 mu m. Its electrochemical activity towards methanol oxidation was investigated by means of cyclic voltammetry and current-voltage polarisation measurements under half-cell and direct methanol fuel cell conditions. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.