Microstructure and composition of catalytic layers formed by the ion-beam-assisted deposition of platinum onto carbon substrates

The results of investigating the microstructure and composition of layers formed by platinum deposition onto carbon carriers used as electrocatalysts—MG-1 graphite, SU-2000 glassy carbon, and AVCarb® P50 carbon fiber paper—are presented. The layers have been created via the ion-beam-assisted deposition of platinum, in which metal deposition and mixing between the deposited layer and substrate-surface atoms accelerated by ions of the same metal (U = 10 kV) occur, respectively, from a neutral vapor fraction and the vacuum-arc discharge plasma of a pulsed ion source. The layers are examined via scanning electron microscopy, electron probe microanalysis, electron backscatter diffraction, Rutherford backscattering spectrometry, and X-ray photoelectron spectrometry. The formed layers (their thicknesses are ～100 nm and the platinum content is ～10¹⁶ atom cm^?2) are characterized by an amorphous atomic structure that repeats the surface microstructure of the carbon carrier.