Alkaline fuel cells and electrolyzers attract increasing attention of the electrochemical community, and one of their supposed advantages is their larger electrode materials stability than for their proton-exchange membrane analogues. However, stability of the core materials of fuel cells and electrolyzers in alkaline environment is not granted and remains understudied so far.Herein, using in situ Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), identical-location transmission electron microscopy (IL-TEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and CO ads stripping techniques, we provide physical and chemical evidences that Pt-based nanocatalysts catalyze the electrochemical corrosion of the carbon support (Vulcan XC72). This is due to more facile oxidation of oxygen-containing surface groups of the carbon support upon adsorption of hydroxyl groups on the Pt-based surface. The degradation mechanism is, to some extent, similar for other carbon-supported Pt group metal (PGM) electrocatalysts. We propose that the extent of degradation of PGM/C nanoparticles in alkaline electrolytes scales with the electrocatalyst's activity to electrooxidize CO, thereby providing a marker of the materials propensity to degradation in alkaline environment.
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