Mesoporous confined Pt-based intermetallic compound with wrinkled carbon to enhance the performance towards oxygen reduction reaction for proton exchange membrane fuel cells

• Published in: Journal of power sources 2024-05, Vol.603, p.234357, Article 234357
• Main Authors: Ke, Fusong, Cheng, Qingqing, Tong, Digang, Liu, Deyou, Xu, Xiang, Chen, Yubin, Zou, LiangLiang, Yang, Hui
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: High-loading Pt-based catalysts; Mesoporous carbon; Oxygen reduction reaction; Proton exchange membrane fuel cell; Pt based intermetallic compound
• ISSN: 0378-7753; 1873-2755
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jpowsour.2024.234357

The formation of small-sized (50 wt%) Pt-based intermetallic compound structures commonly requires thermal treatment to conquer the atom-ordering barrier, which inevitably causes severe nanoparticle agglomeration and hence reduces oxygen reduction reaction activity. Herein, we provided a synthetic wrinkled carbon support by vapor deposition from methane (CH4), and then we utilized the carbon to synthesize sub-5 nm high-loading (50.6 wt%) Pt3Co1 intermetallic compound by mesoporous confinement effect. Structural characterizations reveal that the nanoparticles are mainly located in the pores of the mesoporous carbon with an average size of ca. 4.1 nm, corroborating the confinement effect of the mesoporous structure. As a consequence, the Pt3Co1 intermetallic compound catalyst exhibits superior oxygen reduction reaction activity with a mass activity (@0.9V) of 0.35 A/mgPt and satisfactory durability with a mass activity decline by 22% after 40k-cycles accelerated durability test. Membrane electrode assembly with the resultant catalyst delivers the desirable performance with the peak power density of ca. 1.0 W/cm2 while lowering the Pt loading to 0.1 mg/cm2, suggesting the practical application potential in low-Pt proton exchange membrane fuel cells. •Wrinkled carbon with abundant mesopores of ca. 4 nm is synthesized to confine IMC NPs.•50.6 wt% Pt3Co1-IMC with an average size of ca. 4.1 nm is prepared.•Pt3Co1/MPC with a MA decline by only 22% after 40k-cycles accelerated durability test.•MEA with 0.1 mgPt/cm2 Pt3Co1/MPC attains the peak power density of ca. 1 W/cm2.