Influence of lanthanum on morphology and electrochemical performance of nano-platinum-based catalytic membrane electrode

The current research of platinum (Pt)–based catalysts focuses on reducing Pt loading in the catalysts while enhancing the catalytic activity. As a rare-earth element, lanthanum (La) has demonstrated good synergistic effect with Pt-based catalysts, because of its catalytic promoting capability and high dispersibility. Here, we fabricated La-doped nano-Pt-based catalytic membrane electrode using ion beam sputtering method. The effect of La on the morphology and electrochemical performance of the catalytic membrane electrode was investigated by scanning electron microscope, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and electrochemical measurements. Compared with pure Pt-based sample, the electrochemical activity specific area of the La-doped sample increases by 74.59%, with 63.95% increase in exchange current density. The results also show that La₂O₃ enhances oxygen enrichment of the membrane electrode and reduces interfacial energy among Pt grains while pinning the grain boundaries. In addition, the inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES) measurement shows that the Pt loading in the membrane electrodes is below 0.1 mg/cm². Thus, enhanced catalytic performance is achieved in catalysts with lower Pt loading.