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Abstract
The effect of the relationship between particle size (d), inter-particle distance (x ^sub i^), and metal loading (y) of carbon supported fuel cell Pt or PtRu catalysts on their catalytic activity, based on the optimum d (2.5-3 nm) and x ^sub i^/d (>5) values, was evaluated. It was found that for y < 30 wt%, the optimum values of both d and x ^sub i^/d can be always obtained. For y ≥ 30 wt%, instead, the positive effect of a thinner catalyst layer of the fuel cell electrode than that using catalysts with y < 30 wt% is concomitant to a decrease of the effective catalyst surface area due to an increase of d and/or a decrease of x ^sub i^/d compared to their optimum values, with in turns gives rise to a decrease in the catalytic activity. The effect of the x ^sub i^/d ratio has been successfully verified by experimental results on ethanol oxidation on PtRu/C catalysts with same particle size and same degree of alloying but different metal loading. Tests in direct ethanol fuel cells showed that, compared to 20 wt% PtRu/C, the negative effect of the lower x ^sub i^/d on the catalytic activity of 30 and 40 wt% PtRu/C catalysts was superior to the positive effect of the thinner catalyst layer.[PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]