Pt/porous-IrO2 nanocomposite as promising electrocatalyst for unitized regenerative fuel cell

Pt/porous-IrO₂ composite as bifunctional oxygen electrocatalyst for unitized regenerative fuel cell has been prepared by chemical reduction of Pt on porous IrO₂ which is obtained via template-removal method. X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy characterizations indicate that the Pt nanoparticles (ca. 4.4 nm) are deposited on both internal and external sites of porous IrO₂ nanoparticles. Electrochemical analyses show that the activity toward oxygen evolution reaction on Pt/porous-IrO₂ catalyst is 28% (at 1.55 V) higher than that on Pt/commercial-IrO₂ catalyst, and the activity towards oxygen reduction reaction on the former is 2.3 times (at 0.85 V) that on the latter. Oxygen reduction on Pt/porous-IrO₂ catalyst follows the first-order kinetics and the four-electron mechanism.