Ultradurable Pt-Based Catalysts for Oxygen Reduction Electrocatalysis

Abstract

An oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) is the key half reaction of proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs), and is highly dependent on Pt-based nanocrystals as core electrocatalysts. Despite the exceptional ORR activity from adjusting the electronic structures of surface or near-surface atoms, several serious issues, including the corrosion of carbon supports, the preferential leaching of active metal elements, the instability of surface low-coordinated atoms and the sintering/agglomeration of nanocrystals, still exist, challenging the ORR durability of developed Pt-based ORR catalysts. From the point of view of the catalyst structure design, in this review, we summarized the state-of-the-art structural regulation strategies for improving the ORR durability of Pt-based catalysts. The current limitation of Pt-based binary catalysts for ORR electrocatalysis is firstly discussed, and the detailed strategies are further classified into the optimization of supports, metal-doped alloys, core/shell structures, intermetallics and high-entropy alloys, etc. The structure–performance relationship is detailedly explained, especially emphasizing the elimination of the above restrictions. Finally, the existing challenges and future research direction are further presented, aiming at practicing the PEMFC devices of the ultradurable Pt-based catalysts.

Insights into the Electrocatalytic Activity of Fe,N-Glucose/Carbon Nanotube Hybrids for the Oxygen Reduction Reaction

“…However, the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) that takes place at the cathode presents highly sluggish kinetics and hinders the overall device operation [2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9]. Platinum-based electrocatalysts are the most commonly used to supply faster kinetics [3,5,6,8,[10][11][12][13][14]. However, Pt is a scarce and expensive noble metal, contributing to the high costs associated with fuel cell production [15].…”