Enhanced electrocatalytic activities of three dimensional PtCu@Pt bimetallic alloy nanofoams for oxygen reduction reaction

Abstract

Finding an approach to synthesize low cost catalysts with high activity and improved durability is the main challenge for the commercialization of proton exchange membrane fuel cells. The electrocatalytic performance of Pt-based catalysts could be improved significantly by accurately controlling the particle size, morphology and composition. In this work, PtCu bimetallic nanofoams, composed of fused nanoparticles with ∼3 nm in diameter, were synthesized using a one-step reduction method. After dealloying with nitric acid, the PtCu@Pt core–shell bimetallic nanofoams were 7-fold more active in terms of mass activity, 14 times more active on the basis of specific activity, and more durable for ORR than the commercial Pt/C catalyst, which hold great promise in fuel cell applications.