Electrochemical catalysis for propane combustion using nanometric sputtered-deposited Pt films

The catalytic activity of sputtered-Pt films onto Y2O3-stabilized ZrO2 (YSZ) pellets was investigated on the propane combustion. Catalytic performances were compared with conventional electrochemical catalysts based on Pt-paste films. Sputtered electrochemical catalysts presented higher Pt dispersion and significantly larger intrinsic catalytic activity. Furthermore, the catalytic activity of both systems was improved when electrochemical promotion of catalysis (EPOC) was applied to them. The magnitude of the electrochemical activation was higher for sputtered electrochemical catalysts than for Pt-paste films. However, no permanent Non-faradaic Electrochemical Modification of Catalytic Activity (NEMCA) effect was observed on sputtered-Pt films. Nevertheless, the kinetic behaviour of the electrocatalytic activity exhibited temperature dependence, which may be related with the formation of PtOx species in the bulk of the Pt film during the anodic polarization.