An integrated platinum-nanocarbon electrocatalyst for efficient oxygen reduction

• Published in: Nature communications 2022-11, Vol.13 (1), p.6703-9, Article 6703
• Main Authors: Huang, Lei, Wei, Min, Qi, Ruijuan, Dong, Chung-Li, Dang, Dai, Yang, Cheng-Chieh, Xia, Chenfeng, Chen, Chao, Zaman, Shahid, Li, Fu-Min, You, Bo, Xia, Bao Yu
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 119/118; 140/133; 140/146; 147/135; 147/137; 147/143; 639/301/299; 639/4077/893; 639/638/161/893; 639/638/77/884; 639/925/357; Alloys; Carbon; Catalysts; Chemical reduction; Cobalt; Current density; Electrocatalysts; Fuel cells; Fuel technology; Humanities and Social Sciences; Hydrogen oxygen fuel cells; multidisciplinary; Oxygen; Oxygen reduction reactions; Platinum; Platinum base alloys; Science; Science (multidisciplinary)
• ISSN: 2041-1723; 2041-1723
• DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-34444-w

Efficient and robust platinum-carbon electrocatalysts are of great significance for the long-term service of high-performance fuel cells. Here, we report a Pt alloy integrated in a cobalt-nitrogen-nanocarbon matrix by a multiscale design principle for efficient oxygen reduction reaction. This Pt integrated catalyst demonstrates an increased mass activity, 11.7 times higher than that of commercial Pt catalyst, and retains a stability of 98.7% after 30,000 potential cycles. Additionally, this integrated catalyst delivers a current density of 1.50 A cm −2 at 0.6 V in the hydrogen-air fuel cell and achieves a power density of 980 mW cm −2 . Comprehensive investigations demonstrate that the synergistic contribution of components and structure in the platinum-carbon integrated catalyst is responsible for the high-efficiency ORR in fuel cells. Improving fuel cell technologies based on Pt-based alloys is important for efficient fuel cells. Here, the authors report a hybrid PtCo alloy electrocatalyst for acidic oxygen reduction at high current densities and H 2 /air fuel cell power densities.