Direct integration of ultralow-platinum alloy into nanocarbon architectures for efficient oxygen reduction in fuel cells

Developing efficient platinum (Pt)-based electrocatalysts is enormously significant for fuel cells. Herein, we report an integrated electrocatalyst of ultralow-Pt alloy encapsulated into nitrogen-doped nanocarbon architecture for efficient oxygen reduction reaction. This hybrid Pt-based catalyst achieves a mass activity of 3.46 A mgpt-1 at the potential of 0.9 V vs. RHE with a negligible stability decay after 10,000 cycles. More importantly, this half-cell activity can be expressed at full cell level with a high Pt utilization of 10.22 W mgPt-1cathode and remarkable durability after 30,000 cycles in single-cell. Experimental and theoretical investigations reveal that a highly strained Pt structure with an optimal Pt-O binding energy is induced by the incorporation of Co/Ni into Pt lattice, which would account for the improved reaction kinetics. The synergistic catalysis due to nitrogen-doped nanocarbon architecture and active Pt component is responsible for the enhanced catalytic activity. Meanwhile, the strong metal-support interaction and optimized hydrophilic properties of nanocarbon matrix facilitate efficient mass transport and water management. This work may provide significant insights in designing the low-Pt integrated electrocatalysts for fuel cells and beyond.