Light and oxygen caused degradation of carbon nanotubes supported platinum catalyst in storage

Platinum (Pt) based catalysts are widely used in fuel cells due to its high catalytic activity. However, the high price and insatiability of Pt have hampered its commercial application. Enhancing the stability of Pt-based catalysts is very important. In this study, the degradation of Pt-based catalysts under storage conditions has been investigated. Both the oxygen and light will cause the degradation of Pt in storage conditions. However, the oxidation caused by light and oxygen alone is very slight, and the oxidation of Pt is obvious when oxygen and light work together.These findings provide a new sight in investigating the degradation mechanism of Pt-based catalysts.