A paper by Prof. Makoto Uchida and their coworkers was selected be featured as the supplementary cover art of the journal.

May 11, 2026

　A paper by Prof. Makoto Uchida and his colleagues at the Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Nanomaterials Center has been “Degradation Mechanism and Mitigation Strategy of Mesoporous Carbon-Supported Pt Catalysts during Realistic Startup and Air Confinement Shutdown in Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cells” published in ACS Applied Energy Materials, a journal of the American Chemical Society. The study’s graphical abstract was also selected to be featured as the Supplementary Cover Art for the issue.

　This research investigated the comprehensive durability of mesoporous carbon-supported platinum catalysts (Pt/MPC), a highly promising material for polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEFCs) used in fuel cell vehicles and stationary power systems. The study focused on performance under realistic operating conditions, including startup and shutdown cycles. The findings revealed that MPC catalysts experience more significant performance degradation compared to conventional Ketjen Black and graphited Vulcan catalysts. By conducting a detailed analysis of the amount and timing of CO₂ gas emissions, we clarified the specific degradation mechanism. Furthermore, we demonstrated that this degradation can be effectively mitigated by precisely controlling the upper potential limitation through micro-power generation during operation.

　This research was conducted as a joint project with N.E. CHEMCAT Corporation, supported by the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO). The insights gained by the Satoshi Aoki (an employee of N.E. CHEMCAT and a PhD student in Yamanashi university’s doctoral program for working professionals), are expected to provide crucial guidance for the design of next generation electrocatalysts and fuel cell systems with extended lifespans.