High-Loading Platinum-Cobalt Intermetallic Compounds with Enhanced Oxygen Reduction Activity in Membrane Electrode Assemblies

Yi Zhang; Yao-Lin A; Xiao-Qun Xie; Di-Ye Wei; Tao Shen; Qing-Na Zheng; Jin-Chao Dong; Jing-Hua Tian; Hua Zhang; Jian-Feng Li

Next Nanotechnology (Jan 2024)

High-Loading Platinum-Cobalt Intermetallic Compounds with Enhanced Oxygen Reduction Activity in Membrane Electrode Assemblies

Yi Zhang,
Yao-Lin A,
Xiao-Qun Xie,
Di-Ye Wei,
Tao Shen,
Qing-Na Zheng,
Jin-Chao Dong,
Jing-Hua Tian,
Hua Zhang,
Jian-Feng Li

Affiliations

Yi Zhang: College of Materials, State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, MOE Key Laboratory of Spectrochemical Analysis and Instrumentation, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, iChEM, Fujian Key Laboratory of Advanced Materials, College of Energy, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China
Yao-Lin A: College of Materials, State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, MOE Key Laboratory of Spectrochemical Analysis and Instrumentation, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, iChEM, Fujian Key Laboratory of Advanced Materials, College of Energy, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China
Xiao-Qun Xie: College of Materials, State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, MOE Key Laboratory of Spectrochemical Analysis and Instrumentation, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, iChEM, Fujian Key Laboratory of Advanced Materials, College of Energy, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China
Di-Ye Wei: College of Materials, State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, MOE Key Laboratory of Spectrochemical Analysis and Instrumentation, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, iChEM, Fujian Key Laboratory of Advanced Materials, College of Energy, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China
Tao Shen: College of Materials, State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, MOE Key Laboratory of Spectrochemical Analysis and Instrumentation, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, iChEM, Fujian Key Laboratory of Advanced Materials, College of Energy, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China
Qing-Na Zheng: College of Materials, State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, MOE Key Laboratory of Spectrochemical Analysis and Instrumentation, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, iChEM, Fujian Key Laboratory of Advanced Materials, College of Energy, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China
Jin-Chao Dong: College of Materials, State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, MOE Key Laboratory of Spectrochemical Analysis and Instrumentation, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, iChEM, Fujian Key Laboratory of Advanced Materials, College of Energy, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China
Jing-Hua Tian: Innovation Laboratory for Sciences and Technologies of Energy Materials of Fujian Province (IKKEM), Xiamen 361102, China
Hua Zhang: College of Materials, State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, MOE Key Laboratory of Spectrochemical Analysis and Instrumentation, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, iChEM, Fujian Key Laboratory of Advanced Materials, College of Energy, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China; Corresponding author.
Jian-Feng Li: College of Materials, State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, MOE Key Laboratory of Spectrochemical Analysis and Instrumentation, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, iChEM, Fujian Key Laboratory of Advanced Materials, College of Energy, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China; Innovation Laboratory for Sciences and Technologies of Energy Materials of Fujian Province (IKKEM), Xiamen 361102, China; Department of Chemistry and Environment Science, Fujian Province University Key Laboratory of Analytical Science, Minnan Normal University, Zhangzhou 363000, China; Corresponding author at: College of Materials, State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, MOE Key Laboratory of Spectrochemical Analysis and Instrumentation, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, iChEM, Fujian Key Laboratory of Advanced Materials, College of Energy, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China.

Journal volume & issue: Vol. 5
p. 100065

Abstract

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Platinum-based intermetallic compounds (IMCs) are emerging as promising oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) catalysts in proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs). However, large-scale synthesis of supported IMCs catalysts with small particle size and high loading remains a significant challenge, greatly hindering the applications of IMCs in PEMFCs. Herein, carbon-supported PtCo IMCs with a metal loading of ∼40% and a mean size of ∼5 nm were successfully prepared via a simple impregnation method and display excellent performances in membrane electrode assemblies (MEA). The ordering degree of the PtCo IMCs can be tuned by carefully manipulating the annealing conditions. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy characterizations demonstrate that the electronic interactions between Pt and Co are strengthened due to highly ordered structure of PtCo IMCs, thus promoting the ORR performance. The optimized PtCo IMCs exhibit an excellent ORR performance with a specific activity of 2.02 mA cm−2 and mass activity of 0.92 A mgPt−1 at 0.9 V (vs. RHE), which are approximately 5 times and 6 times higher than those of the commercial Pt/C. More importantly, the PtCo IMCs also display enhanced performance in MEA, and the power density at 1.5 A cm−2 and 2.5 A cm−2 is 0.949 W cm−2 and 1.244 W cm−2, respectively, thus reducing the Pt usage by 40% compared to Pt/C. This work offers a facile route for the scale preparation of platinum-based intermetallic compounds and promotes their practical applications in PEMFCs.

Published in Next Nanotechnology

ISSN: 2949-8295 (Online)
Publisher: Elsevier
Country of publisher: United Kingdom
LCC subjects: Technology
Website: https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/next-nanotechnology

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