Issue 10, 2024

Unraveling a volcanic relationship of Co/N/C@PtxCo catalysts toward oxygen electro-reduction

Abstract

The cathodic oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) has been continuously attracting worldwide interest due to the increasing popularity of proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells. So far, various Pt-group metal (PGM) or PGM-free catalysts have been developed to facilitate the ORR. However, there is still a gap to achieve the expected goals as proposed by the U.S. Department of Energy (DoE). Recently, PGM-free@PGM hybrid catalysts, such as the M/N/C@PtM catalyst, have achieved the milestones of oxygen reduction, as reviewed in our recent work. It is, nevertheless, still challenging to unravel the underlying structure–property relationships. Here, by applying different Pt/Co ratios, a series of Co/N/C@PtxCo catalysts are synthesized. Interestingly, the ORR activity and stability are not linear with the Pt content, but show a volcano-like curve with increased Pt usage. This relationship has been deeply unraveled to be closely related to the contents of pyrrolic N, pyridinic N, and graphitized carbon in catalysts. This work provides guidelines to rationally design the coupled PGM-free@PGM catalysts toward the ORR by appropriate surface engineering.

Graphical abstract: Unraveling a volcanic relationship of Co/N/C@PtxCo catalysts toward oxygen electro-reduction

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
29 Kax 2023
Accepted
30 Qun 2024
First published
31 Qun 2024

Nanoscale, 2024,16, 5215-5221

Unraveling a volcanic relationship of Co/N/C@PtxCo catalysts toward oxygen electro-reduction

Y. Zhou, J. Chen, Z. Huang, Y. Peng, L. Xing, C. Tang, N. Wang, L. Meng, M. Wu, L. Du and S. Ye, Nanoscale, 2024, 16, 5215 DOI: 10.1039/D3NR06647A

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements