Novel Cu and Co oxide based catalysts for PEMFC obtained by plasma-enhanced metal-organic chemical vapor deposition PEMOCVD

The study concerns none noble metal catalytic films for Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell (PEMFC), based on cobalt and cooper oxides, including mixed oxide known as spinel type Cu$_{x}$Co$_{3}$-xO$_{4}$ (x = 0, 0.3, and 1.0). Thin catalytic layers were obtained from cyclopentadienyldicarbonyl-cobalt(I) and cooper (II) acetylacetonate by plasma method called plasma enhanced metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (\textbf{PEMOCVD)}. Organic precursors were introduced to the reactor with carrier gases like argon, oxygen or mixture of both. Then deposited layers were analyzed by means of Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDS) and electrochemical methods such as single cell test and cyclic voltammetry CV. In all types of investigated materials catalytic activity was observed. Single cell test showed that the best results were attained for the layers deposited in pure argon plasma. To learn more about the phenomenon, a number of CV tests were performed.