Effect of Pt/Ru Supported by Carbon Nanotubes on the Ability of PEMFC to Resist CO Poisoning

Carbon nanotubes prepared by a catalytic pyrolysis method were oxidized and homo- geneously deposited with Pt and Pt/Ru nanoparticles on their surfaces. The experimental results show that the catalysts of Pt deposited on carbon nanotubes of tlie proton exchange membrane fuel cell are easily poisoned by CO and lose their activity, which make the fuel cell voltage decrease sharply with decreasing of current density. But their ability to resist CO poisoning improves when Pt/Ru deposited on carbon nanotubes as catalysts, this suggests that Ru can oxidize CO adsorbed on the surfaces of Pt into CO_2, so the catalyst ability to resist CO poisoning increases.