Fabrication of Carbon Nanowalls on Carbon Fiber Paper for Fuel Cell Application

Carbon nanowalls (CNWs) can be described as self-assembled, vertically standing, few-layered graphene sheet nanostructures. In order to demonstrate the usefulness of CNWs in fuel cell application, CNWs were directly grown on carbon fiber paper (CFP) using the inductively coupled plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (ICP-CVD) method. Subsequently, highly dispersed platinum (Pt) nanoparticles were formed on the surface of CNWs using metal–organic chemical fluid deposition (MOCFD) employing a supercritical fluid (SCF). Moreover, a single proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell unit using a Pt-supported CNW/CFP electrode was constructed, and its voltage–current characteristics were measured. This configuration ensures that all the supported Pt nanoparticles are in electrical contact with the external electrical circuit. Such a design would improve Pt utilization and potentially decrease Pt usage. Pt-supported CNWs grown on CFP will be well suited to the application in electrodes of fuel cells.