Activation energy of hydrogen migration by relay in the O2/Pt19/SnO2/H2 + n H2O system

In the framework of investigation of active and stable electrocatalysts for fuel cells, the hydrogen migration by relay with the consecutive formation of H₂O molecules in the O₂/Pt₁₉/SnO₂/H₂·nH₂O → O/Pt₁₉/SnO₂·nH₂O + H₂O system was simulated. The simulations were performed by the density functional theory (DFT) method with the generalized gradient adjustment (GGA=PBE) under periodic boundary conditions in the projector augmented plane wave (PAW) basis set with a pseudo-potential using the VASP program package. At the cathode on the platinum cluster surface, the oxygen molecules without a barrier form peroxide complexes that dissociate with an energy decrease. The protons transferred via the proton-conducting channels from the anode to cathode form first OH groups bound to the platinum cluster and then H₂O molecules that are easily separated from the cluster (～0.2 eV). The proton transfer process proceeds by relay and involves several water molecules.