Alternative and facile production pathway towards obtaining high surface area PtCo/C intermetallic catalysts for improved PEM fuel cell performance

Abstract

A novel PtCo/C based PEMFC electrocatalyst was investigated in real fuel cells under application-relevant conditions. The corresponding MEAs show superior performance compared to reference materials due to more suitable nanoparticle sizes.

Intermetallic Nanocrystals for Fuel-Cells-Based Electrocatalysis

“…Slight leaching of exotic atoms ensures the steadiness of ordered nature and elemental composition of intermetallics, accounting for superior stability over their alloy competitors. Moreover, intermetallic nanocrystals tend to exist in more uniform size and therefore inhibit activity decay resulting from agglomeration and Ostwald ripening of nanoparticles (Scheme b). ,,− As for antipoisoning performance, intermetallics show flexible regulating ability of the atomic architecture near the active sites. Its orderly atomic arrangement and exposure of specific corner/edge sites exert obvious dilutive effect to the densely adjacent metal atoms, realizing relaxation of the excessively strong absorption of poisoning intermediates (Scheme c). ,,− More advanced, thanks to the constant ordered atomic distribution, intermetallics enjoy robust forms of existence and serve as ideal model catalysts for in-depth structure–activity relation and inactivation principles exploration …”

“…Beyond the core/shell precursors, the other heterostructures containing metals and metal oxides, which can generate abundant O vacancies under high-temperature environment, are also desired precursors for preparing intermetallics by annealing. ,− An ideal starting platform, dumbbell-like PtFe–Fe 3 O 4 nanoparticles, can promote the formation of ordered PtFe nanoparticles . Specifically, Fe 3 O 4 –FePt heterostructural nanoparticles were synthesized by using Pt­(acac) 2 and Fe­(CO) 5 as the precursors and the air as the oxidant.…”