Three-Dimensionally Costabilized Metal Catalysts toward an Oxygen Reduction Reaction

  • Kun Cheng
  • , Min Jiang
  • , Bei Ye
  • , Ibrahim Saana Amiinu
  • , Xiaobo Liu
  • , Zongkui Kou
  • , Wenqiang Li
  • , Shichun Mu

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Improving the long-term stability of metal catalysts is crucial to developing polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEFCs). In this work, we first report an inorganic (TiO2)-organic (perfluorosulfonic acid, PFSA) costabilized Pt catalyst supported on graphene nanosheets (GNS) (Pt-PFSA-TiO2/GNS). Herein, TiO2, as a robust wall, impedes the collision between the metal nanoparticles (NPs) in plane along the horizontal x and y axes, while PFSA mainly anchors the metal NPs to constrain detachment along the vertical z axis. The resulting catalyst displays higher oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) activity in comparison to that of commercial Pt/C. Significantly, the stability is particularly better than that of only PFSA- or TiO2-decorated catalysts (Pt-PFSA/GNS or Pt-TiO2/GNS) and far better than that of Pt/C. After 6000 potential cycles, the half-wave potential (E1/2) of Pt-PFSA-TiO2/GNS decreases by only 16 mV, far less than that of Pt/C (56 mV). The excellent electrochemical property of Pt-PFSA-TiO2/GNS is predominantly attributed to the synergistic effect of PFSA and TiO2 in costabilizing the Pt NP by anchoring and blocking Pt NPs in all three spatial directions. The structural dynamics and mechanism of enhanced properties are also discussed.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)2236-2244
Number of pages9
JournalLangmuir
Volume32
Issue number9
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 8 Mar 2016
Externally publishedYes

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