Platinum nanoparticle stability promotion in PEMFC via metal oxide addition: A comparative study between GDE and MEA

• Pt NPs on CeO 2 /C and ZrO 2 /C were tested for stability in GDE and FC systems. • GDE results align with FC outcomes, predicting catalyst stability effectively. • MEA test under extreme conditions confirm that CeO 2 preserves carbon support. • CeO 2 addition enhances Pt/C stability, offering pathways to improve catalyst durability. Pt catalysts are essential to Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells, but their high cost and limited durability under operational conditions present significant barriers to commercialization. This study explores the enhancement of Pt catalyst stability through the addition of metal oxides, specifically CeO 2 and ZrO 2 , synthesized via a thermal one-pot method. The impact of these metal oxides on Pt stability and performance was evaluated using both Gas Diffusion Electrode (GDE) half-cell and in a Membrane Electrode Assembly (MEA) through a fuel cell (FC) test bench, demonstrating the high reliability of the GDE approach. Key findings revealed that the improved oxygen transport after oxidative stress testing highlights the scavenging effect of the CeO 2 , primarily through increased resistance to carbon corrosion, leading to superior catalyst stability. This study deepens the understanding of the role of CeO 2 in enhancing Pt durability, provides a direct comparison with ZrO 2 , and validates the GDE setup as a robust method for preliminary durability testing in PEMFC research.