High-loading Pt nanoparticles on mesoporous carbon with large mesopores for highly active methanol electro-oxidation

High metal-loading Pt/C electrocatalysts are important for the fabrication of thin-layered membrane electrode assemblies (MEAs). However, the preparation of high-loading Pt catalysts with a narrow size distribution of nanoparticles remains a challenge. Herein, ordered mesoporous carbon (OMC) with large mesopores (~15 nm) and a high surface area (1316.0 m² g^?1) was fabricated using a SiO₂ nanosphere array as a template. This material was developed to support a high loading of Pt nanoparticles (60 wt%) and was then used as an electrocatalyst for the methanol oxidation reaction (MOR). The prepared Pt/OMC contains Pt nanoparticles with an average size of ~1.9 nm that are uniformly dispersed on the mesoporous walls of the OMC. The Pt/OMC catalyst exhibits smaller Pt nanoparticle size, greater Pt dispersion, larger specific electrochemically active surface area (ECSA), and higher electrocatalytic activity for the MOR than the carbon black (Vulcan XC-72R)-supported Pt and the commercial Pt/C catalysts.     

Nanocrystalline tungstic carbide/graphitic carbon composite: synthesis,characterization, and its application as an effective Pt catalyst support for methanol oxidation

Tungsten carbide and graphitic carbon (WC/GC) composite has been synthesized by a simple solid-state pyrolysis method from an in situ route. The results indicate that the synthesized sample has a large specific surface area (S _BET) of 198 m² g^?1, and the WC nanoparticles (NPs) with a narrow particle size are well dispersed on the graphitic carbon. After loading Pt nanoparticles, the prepared Pt/WC/GC catalyst exhibits a mass activity of 416.1 mA mg^?1 Pt toward methanol electrooxidation, which is much higher than that of commercial Pt/C (JM) (231.2 mA mg^?1 Pt). Moreover, the onset potential is 100 mV more negative than that on Pt/C (JM) electrocatalyst. In addition, the Pt/WC/GC catalyst has stronger resistance to CO poisoning than the commercial Pt/C (JM). Its superior electrochemical performance could be attributed not only to the synergistic effect between Pt and WC NPs but also to the excellent electrical conductivity of GC and proper porous structure for desirable mass transportation in a porous electrode.     

Carbon-supported ultrafine Pt nanoparticles modified with trace amounts of cobalt as enhanced oxygen reduction reaction catalysts for proton exchange membrane fuel cells

To accelerate the kinetics of the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in proton exchange membrane fuel cells, ultrafine Pt nanoparticles modified with trace amounts of cobalt were fabricated and decorated on carbon black through a strategy involving modified glycol reduction and chemical etching. The obtained Pt₃₆Co/C catalyst exhibits a much larger electrochemical surface area (ECSA) and an improved ORR electrocatalytic activity compared to commercial Pt/C. Moreover, an electrode prepared with Pt₃₆Co/C was further evaluated under H₂-air single cell test conditions, and exhibited a maximum specific power density of 10.27 W mg_Pt^?1, which is 1.61 times higher than that of a conventional Pt/C electrode and also competitive with most state-of-the-art Pt-based architectures. In addition, the changes in ECSA, power density, and reacting resistance during the accelerated degradation process further demonstrate the enhanced durability of the Pt₃₆Co/C electrode. The superior performance observed in this work can be attributed to the synergy between the ultrasmall size and homogeneous distribution of catalyst nanoparticles, bimetallic ligand and electronic effects, and the dissolution of unstable Co with the rearrangement of surface structure brought about by acid etching. Furthermore, the accessible raw materials and simplified operating procedures involved in the fabrication process would result in great cost-effectiveness for practical applications of PEMFCs.     

Temperature dependence of oxygen reduction activity at Nafion-coated bulk Pt and Pt/carbon black catalysts

Oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) activity and H(2)O(2) formation at Nafion-coated film electrodes of bulk-Pt and Pt nanoparticles dispersed on carbon black (Pt/CB) were investigated in 0.1 M HClO(4) solution at 30 to 110 degrees C by using a channel flow double electrode method. We have found that the apparent rate constants k(app) (per real Pt active surface area) for the ORR at bulk-Pt (with and without Nafion-coating) and Nafion-coated Pt/CB (19.3 and 46.7 wt % Pt, d(Pt) = 2.6 to 2.7 nm) thin-film electrodes were in beautiful agreement with each other in the operation conditions of polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEFCs), i.e., 30-110 degrees C and ca. 0.7 to 0.8 V vs RHE. The H(2)O(2) yield was 0.6-1.0% at 0.7-0.8 V on all Nafion-coated Pt/CB and bulk-Pt and irrespective of Pt-loading level and temperature. Nafion coating was pointed out to be a major factor for the H(2)O(2) formation on Pt catalysts modifying the surface property, because H(2)O(2) production was not detected at the bulk-Pt electrode without Nafion coating.     

Graphitic C<Subscript>3</Subscript>N<Subscript>4</Subscript>@MWCNTs supported Mn<Subscript>3</Subscript>O<Subscript>4</Subscript> as a novel electrocatalyst for the oxygen reduction reaction in zinc–air batteries

A series of catalysts (g-C₃N₄@MWCNTs/Mn₃O₄) were prepared from g-C₃N₄, MWCNTs, and Mn₃O₄ for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in zinc–air batteries. From the half-cell tests, the loading of 35 % Mn₃O₄ (sample GMM35) presents an excellent activity toward ORR in alkaline condition. Rotating ring-disk electrode (RRDE) studies reveal that 3.6～3.8 electrons are transferred with a H₂O₂ yield of 11.4 % at ?0.4 V. Meanwhile, the GMM35 nanocomposite exhibits the same durability as commercial 20 wt% Pt/C in alkaline condition, but it shows lower peak power density (192.4 mW cm^?2 at 229.1 mA cm^?2) and cell voltage than those with a commercial Pt/C catalyst (260.9 mW cm^?2 at 285.4 mA cm^?2).     

Optimizing the Size of Platinum Nanoparticles for Enhanced Mass Activity in the Electrochemical Oxygen Reduction Reaction

High oxygen reduction (ORR) activity has been for many years considered as the key to many energy applications. Herein, by combining theory and experiment we prepare Pt nanoparticles with optimal size for the efficient ORR in proton‐exchange‐membrane fuel cells. Optimal nanoparticle sizes are predicted near 1, 2, and 3 nm by computational screening. To corroborate our computational results, we have addressed the challenge of approximately 1 nm sized Pt nanoparticle synthesis with a metal–organic framework (MOF) template approach. The electrocatalyst was characterized by HR‐TEM, XPS, and its ORR activity was measured using a rotating disk electrode setup. The observed mass activities (0.87±0.14 A mg_Pt^?1) are close to the computational prediction (0.99 A mg_Pt^?1). We report the highest to date mass activity among pure Pt catalysts for the ORR within similar size range. The specific and mass activities are twice as high as the Tanaka commercial Pt/C catalysis.     

Single-Cu-atoms anchored on 3D macro-porous carbon matrix as efficient catalyst for oxygen reduction and Pt co-catalyst for methanol oxidation

Single metal atoms immobilized on a carbon substrate are of great potential for enhancing the catalytic activities for oxygen reduction and methanol oxidation reactions（ORR/MOR） owing to the maximized atom utilization. Herein, single copper atoms（SCAs） are loaded on macro-porous nitrogen-doped carbon（Cu-NC） derived from zeolitic imidazolate framework-8（ZIF-8）, which are used as catalysts for ORR and Pt-supports for MOR. For ORR, the catalyst marked as Cu-NC-3 exhibits a higher peak potential of ...     

The effect of cerium oxide nanoparticles on a Pt/C electrocatalyst synthesized by a continuous two-step process for low-temperature fuel cell

An effective method was developed for preparing highly dispersed CeO₂ nanoparticle on a Pt/C catalyst synthesized by a continuous two-step process. From the XRD patterns, the diffraction pattern of the 20Pt–10CeO₂/C catalyst revealed that both crystalline Pt and CeO₂ phases coexisted. The TEM images show that the Pt and CeO₂ nanoparticles were well-dispersed on the surface of the carbon support, which is known to be important for activity in the ORR test. In the ORR and single-cell tests, the 20Pt–10CeO₂/C catalyst showed higher performance than a commercial 20Pt/C catalyst, owing to the oxygen storage capacity of CeO₂ and its ability to rapidly exchange oxygen with oxygen in the buffer.     

钴-聚吡咯-碳载Pt催化剂的制备及其单电池性能研究

采用脉冲微波辅助化学还原法制备了钴-聚吡咯-碳载Pt催化剂(Pt/Co-PPy-C),并将其作为阴极催化剂,组装单电池。考察了电池运行温度和氢气/空气计量比对单电池性能的影响,并与商业Pt/C催化剂进行了耐久性实验比较。 结果表明,运行温度为70 ℃,氢气与空气的计量比为1.2:2.5时单电池性能最佳。600 mA/cm²恒电流稳定运行150 h耐久性测试中,以Pt/Co-PPy-C为阴极催化剂的单电池平均电压衰退率为0.119 mV/h,是商业Pt/C催化剂的26%。耐久性测试前后,单电池的阴极电荷传递阻抗为7.176和8.767 Ω,均比商业Pt/C催化剂阻抗小;Pt颗粒粒径从2.46 nm增长到3.18 nm,均小于商业Pt/C催化剂的粒径。这表明,以Pt/Co-PPy-C催化剂为阴极催化剂制备的单电池性能优良,在质子交换膜燃料电池中有广泛的应用前景。     

Oxygen reduction activity of carbon-supported Pt-M (M = V, Ni, Cr, Co, and Fe) alloys prepared by nanocapsule method

Monodispersed Pt and Pt-M (M = V, Cr, Fe, Co, and Ni) alloy nanoparticles supported on carbon black (denoted as Pt/CB and Pt-M/CB) were prepared by the simultaneous reduction of platinum acetylacetonate and the second metal acetylacetonate within nanocapsules formed in diphenyl ether in the presence of carbon black. For the Pt/CBs, the average Pt diameters measured by scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) or X-ray diffraction (XRD) ranged from 2.0 to 2.5 nm, regardless of the catalyst-loading level from 10 to 55 wt % on CB. The alloy composition was found to be well-controlled to the projected value among the supported particles. The activities for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) at Nafion-coated catalysts in O2-saturated 0.1 M HClO4 solution were evaluated by using a channel flow electrode (CFE) cell at 30 degrees C. The area-specific ORR activities at Pt-M/CB were found to be 1.3 to 1.8 times higher than that at Pt/CB. The ORR activity increased in the order Pt/CB < Pt-Ni/CB < Pt-Fe/CB < Pt-Co/CB < Pt-V/CB < Pt-Cr/CB.     

Evaluation of Pt40Pd60/MWCNT electrocatalyst as ethylene glycol-tolerant oxygen reduction cathodes

Pt–Pd/MWCNT with Pt:Pd atomic ratio 40:60 and Pt/MWCNT electrocatalyst were synthesized and evaluated as oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) cathodes for Direct Ethylene Glycol Fuel Cells (DEGFC) applications. As reference, a commercial Pt/C material was also tested. We found that Pt–Pd/MWCNT has high tolerance capability to EG and higher selectivity for the ORR compared to the Pt-alone materials. As a result, the shift in onset potential for the ORR, E_onset, at Pt–Pd/MWCNT was considerably smaller than the shift at Pt/MWCNT or Pt/C. The average particle size (from XRD) was 3.5 and 4 nm for Pt/MWCNT and Pt–Pd/MWCNT, respectively. A moderate degree of alloying was determined for the Pt–Pd material. An advantageous application of Pt–Pd electrocatalysts should be in DEGFCs.     

The electrochemical behavior of PtRu- and Pt-modified zeolite X in alkaline solution

Zeolite NaX was modified by Pt and Pt/Ru nanodispersed metallic clusters. The procedure of impregnation with acetylacetonate salt/acetone solution was applied. Scanning electron microscope analysis confirmed partial zeolite framework destruction. According to energy dispersive X-ray analysis, Pt/Ru ratio in sample was about 1. Electrochemical behavior of PtRu- and Pt-modified zeolites was investigated in alkaline solutions, 5 mM NaOH?+?1 M Na₂SO₄ and 0.1 M NaOH. The shape of cyclic voltammograms of 13XPtRu electrode, recorded in slightly alkaline solution, was greatly affected by the presence of hydrogen that remained in the sample after synthetic procedure. Oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) was investigated in an O₂-saturated aqueous 0.1-M NaOH solution. The obtained Tafel slopes indicated ORR mechanism that involves one-electron discharge-determining step. According to Koutecky–Levich slope, the oxygen reduction reaction followed 4e^? mechanism on both 13XPtRu and 13XPt electrode. The onset of ORR on 13XPtRu electrode was shifted toward more positive potentials in comparison to 13XPt electrode.     

Boosting Pt oxygen reduction reaction activity by tuning the tin oxide support

The influence of the dopant element on the physicochemical properties of the SnO₂ support and on the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) activity of the supported Pt nanoparticles was systematically studied. The dopant element and concentration significantly influence the SnO₂ crystal structure and the electrical conductivity, as well as the ORR activity in 0.1 M HClO₄ of the supported Pt catalysts. ORR activities significantly exceeding that of Pt deposited on carbon were observed for Pt nanoparticles supported on Nb- and W-doped SnO₂. No linear correlation between the support conductivity and the ORR activity was observed, suggesting that other factors, such as (electronic) metal–support interactions, could play a role in the ORR activity of Pt catalysts supported on metal oxides.     

Electrochemical Designing of Au/Pt Core Shell Nanoparticles as Nanostructured Catalyst with Tunable Activity for Oxygen Reduction

Au/Pt core shell nanoparticles (NPs) have been prepared via a layer‐by‐layer growth of Pt layers on Au NPs using underpotential deposition (UPD) redox replacement technique. A single UPD Cu monolayer replacement with Pt(II) yielded a uniform Pt film on Au NPs, and the shell thickness can be tuned by controlling the number of UPD redox replacement cycles. Oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in air‐saturated 0.1 M H₂SO₄ was used to investigate the electrocatalytic behavior of the as‐prepared core shell NPs. Cyclic voltammograms of ORR show that the peak potentials shift positively from 0.32 V to 0.48 V with the number of Pt layers increasing from one to five, suggesting the electrocatalytic activity increases with increasing the thickness of Pt shell. The increase in electrocatalytic activity may originate mostly from the large decrease of electronic influence of Au cores on surface Pt atoms. Rotating ring‐disk electrode voltammetry and rotating disk electrode voltammetry demonstrate that ORR is mainly a four‐electron reduction on the as‐prepared modified electrode with 5 Pt layers and first charge transfer is the rate‐determining step.     

Pt dendrimer nanocomposites for oxygen reduction reaction in direct methanol fuel cells

Dendrimer-encapsulated Pt nanoparticles (G4OHPt) were prepared by chemical reduction at room temperature. The G4OHPt, with average diameters of ca. 2.7 nm, were characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and thermogravimetric analysis. Electrocatalytic behavior for oxygen reduction reaction was investigated using a rotating disk electrode configuration in an acidic medium, with and without the presence of methanol (0.01, 0.1, and 1 M). Kinetic studies showed that electrodes based on Pt nanoparticles encapsulated inside the dendrimer display a higher selectivity for ORR in the presence of methanol than electrodes based on commercial Pt black catalysts. Also, the dendritic polymer confers a protective effect on the Pt in the presence of methanol, which allows its use as a cathode in a direct methanol fuel cell operating at different temperatures. Good performance was obtained at 90 °C and 2 bar of pressure with a low platinum loading on the electrode surface.     

高耐甲醇性和稳定性的纳米复合阴极催化剂

报导了一种由酞菁氧钛、铂金属纳米簇和氮杂化碳纳米角结构基元组装而成的新型纳米复合电化学催化剂(TiOPc-Pt/NSWCNH)的制备、表征及电催化性能. 在TiOPc-Pt/NSWCNH催化剂中, 氮杂化碳纳米角堆积形成多孔导电网络, 铂纳粒子均匀地分散于上述多孔导电网络中, 部分铂纳粒子与TiOPc微晶直接接触. 在甲醇存在的条件下, TiOPc-Pt/NSWCNH对氧还原反应表现出高催化活性和优良的选择性与稳定性. 在甲醇浓度为0.5 mol·L^-1的高氯酸水溶液中, TiOPc-Pt/NSWCNH催化氧还原反应的起始电位比商购Pt/C-JM催化剂提高了260 mV, 其质量活性和比活性(0.85 V (参比电极为可逆氢电极(RHE)))分别为83.5 A·g^-1和0.294 mA·cm^-2, 远高于Pt/C-JM催化剂. 在含氧气氛下, 于甲醇高氯酸水溶液中, 对TiOPc-Pt/NSWCNH和TiOPc-Pt/C催化剂进行了循环伏安法加速老化实验研究(0.6-1.0 V, 15000个循环), 结果表明TiOPc-Pt/NSWCNH具有更高的稳定性. TiOPc-Pt/NCNH催化剂的高耐醇性可能得益于由TiOPc微晶向Pt纳米粒子的电子转移, 其高稳定性主要得益于氮杂化碳纳米角的高石墨化程度及纳米角堆积而成网络结构.     

Hollow PtFe Alloy Nanoparticles Derived from Pt-Fe3O4 Dimers through a Silica-Protection Reduction Strategy as Efficient Oxygen Reduction Electrocatalysts

The development of efficient and stable electrocatalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) is critical for the large-scale production of fuel cells. Platinum (Pt) nanoparticle catalysts show excellent performance for ORR, though the high cost of Pt is a limiting factor that directly impacts fuel cell production costs. Alloying Pt with other transition metals is an effective strategy to reduce Pt utilization whilst maintaining good ORR performance. In this work, novel hollow PtFe alloy catalysts were successfully synthesized by high-temperature pyrolysis of SiO₂-coated Pt-Fe₃O₄ nanoparticle dimers supported on carbon at 900 °C, followed by SiO₂ shell removal and partial dealloying of the PtFe nanoparticles formed using HF. The obtained hollow PtFe nanoparticle catalysts (denoted herein as PtFe-900) showed a 2.3-fold enhancement in ORR mass activity compared to PtFe nanoparticles synthesized without SiO₂ protection, and a remarkable 7.8-fold enhancement relative to a commercial Pt/C catalyst. Further, after 10 000 potential cycles, the ORR mass activity of PtFe-900 remained very high (90.9 % of the initial mass activity). The outstanding ORR performance of PtFe-900 can be attributed to the modification of Pt lattice and electronic structure by alloying with Fe at high temperature under the protection of the SiO₂ coating. This work guides the development of improved, highly dispersed Pt-based alloy nanoparticle catalysts for ORR and fuel cell applications.     

Ultra-high surface area and mesoporous N-doped carbon derived from sheep bones with high electrocatalytic performance toward the oxygen reduction reaction

A nitrogen (N)-doped mesoporous carbon material exhibiting ultra-high surface area was successfully synthesized from sheep bones via a facile and low-cost method. The obtained carbon material had an ultra-high specific surface area of 1961 m² g^?1 and provided rich active sites for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), which in turn resulted in high electrocatalytic activity. It was found that the pore size distribution for the newly prepared carbonaceous material fell in the range of 1–4 nm. Benefiting from its high surface area and the presence of pyridine-N and quaternary-N species, the as-prepared carbon material exhibited excellent ORR activity in an oxygen-saturated 0.1 M KOH solution, compared to commercial Pt/C (10 wt%). Due to its high ORR catalytic activity, stability and low-cost, using sheep bone as C and N precursors to produce N-doped carbon provides an encouraging step toward the goal of replacing commercial Pt/C as fuel cell cathode electrocatalyst.     

Mesoporous carbon nitride loaded with Pt nanoparticles as a bifunctional air electrode for rechargeable lithium-air battery

A composite comprised of oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) catalyst and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) catalyst was designed and applied as a bifunctional electrocatalyst for the air electrode of the lithium-air battery. The ordered mesoporous carbon nitride (MCN) prepared by a nano hard-templating approach displayed a surface area as high as 648 m² g^?1 and a large pore volume of 0.7 cm³ g^?1 and acted as both the ORR catalyst and the support for the in situ-formed OER catalyst of Pt particles with a diameter of 3–4 nm. The electrochemical performances of the electrode were examined in a solid-state lithium-air cell structured as Li/LATP-based electrolyte/cathode, which demonstrated a higher round-trip efficiency and lower overpotential compared with the Pt@AB and MCN electrodes. The combination of the OER and ORR catalysts is proved as an effective way to improve the performance of lithium-air batteries.     

One-step synthesis of carbon-supported Pd–Pt alloy electrocatalysts for methanol tolerant oxygen reduction

A facile, one-step reduction route was developed to synthesize Pd-rich carbon-supported Pd–Pt alloy electrocatalysts of different Pd/Pt atomic ratios. As-prepared Pd–Pt/C catalysts exhibit a single phase fcc structure and an expansion lattice parameter. Comparison of the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) on the Pd–Pt/C alloy catalysts indicates that the Pd₃Pt₁/C bimetallic catalyst exhibits the highest ORR activity among all the Pd–Pt alloy catalysts and shows a comparative ORR activity with the commercial Pt/C catalyst. Moreover, all the Pd–Pt alloy catalysts exhibited much higher methanol tolerance during the ORR than the commercial Pt/C catalyst. High methanol tolerance of the Pd–Pt alloy catalysts could be attributed to the weak adsorption of methanol induced by the composition effect, to the presence of Pd atoms and to the formation of Pd-based alloys.