Try this for range of cells:
$from = "A1"; // or any value
$to = "B5"; // or any value
$objPHPExcel->getActiveSheet()->getStyle("$from:$to")->getFont()->setBold( true );
or single cell
$cell_name = "A1";
$objPHPExcel->getActiveSheet()->getStyle( $cell_name )->getFont()->setBold( true );