In this study, the interactions between 3M 825 equivalent-weight (EW) ionomer and carbon support or carbon-supported platinum (Pt/C) catalyst particles were studied. The support and catalyst materials (with and without ionomer addition) were analyzed with Brunauer-Emmet-Teller (BET) nitrogen adsorption-desorption. 3M ionomer/carbon/Pt interactions were also explored through differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Progress toward developing methods for studying polymer adsorption onto supports using 19F Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (NMR) is also reported. Using these methods, a series of ionomer solutions were analyzed to explore the different interactions between components (Pt/Carbon, and Carbon/ionomer).
