Computer Aided Simulation of HydrogenOxygen (Air) Fuel Cell
with Regard to the Degradation Mechanism
of Platinum Catalyst on the Cathode

E. M. Kol’tsova^{a, z}, V. A. Bogdanovskaya^{b, z}, M. R. Tarasevich^b, V. A. Vasilenko^a,
M. M. Stankevich^a, E. B. Filippova^a, and A. A. Khoroshavina^a

^aMendeleev University of Chemical Technology, Miusskaya pl. 9, Moscow, 125047 Russia

^bFrumkin Institute of Physical Chemistry and Electrochemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences,
Leninskii pr. 31, Moscow, 119071 Russia

Received December 25, 2014

Abstract—A mathematical model of a hydrogen–oxygen (air) fuel cell that takes into account the phenomena
of degradation of the cathodic platinum catalyst is presented. For potential cycling from 0.6 to 1.1 V with a scan
rate of 0.1 V/s, depending on the platinum loadings, the following factors are found to prevail in the mechanism
of electroactive surface degradation: the coalescence of platinum nanoparticles at large loadings and the plati-
num dissolution/redeposition and diffusion to the membrane at medium and low loadings. Based on mathemat-
ical simulation, the data on the discharge curves are calculated. The observed decrease in the discharge charac-
teristics is attributed to the degradation of the catalyst active surface and the increased transport losses during
accelerated stress testing.

Keywords: hydrogen–air fuel cell, membrane-electrode assembly, catalyst degradation, fuel cell simulation

DOI: 10.1134/S1023193516010043

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