Nanostructured Pt 20 / SiO_2^x /С Electrocatalysts for Water-Balance Stabilization in a Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell

—The results of studies on nanostructured platinum electrocatalysts based on carriers modified by silicon-dioxide nanoparticles are presented. The Pt 20 / SiO_2^x /С catalysts (where 20 is the weight content of platinum; x = 3, 5, and 7 is the weight content of silicon dioxide) are synthesized via depositing silica particles onto the surface of a carbon carrier, followed by the precipitation and reduction of platinum particles. The Pt 20 / SiO_2^x /С electrocatalysts show a higher range of the specific electrochemically active surface area (ECSA) varying from 80 to 88 m 2 /g as compared to the standard Pt 20 /С electrocatalyst (74.4 m 2 /g). The ECSA loss after accelerated stress testing for Pt 20 / SiO_2^x /С electrocatalysts amounts to 40