Fabrication and electrocatalytic performance of highly stable and active platinum nanoparticles supported on nitrogen-doped ordered mesoporous carbons for oxygen reduction reaction

A facile synthesis route for the preparation of N-doped ordered mesoporous carbons (NOMCs) containing well-dispersed, highly stable Pt nanoparticles (NPs) is reported. The synthesis of these mesostructured Pt-NOMC materials invokes pyrolysis of co-fed carbon sources and Pt precursors in 3-[2-(2-aminoethylamino)ethylamino]propyl-functionalized mesoporous SBA-15 silicas, which served simultaneously as N sources and hard templates. It was found that the dispersion of Pt NPs increases with increasing N content in the Pt-NOMC nanocomposites, leading to higher electrocatalytic activity during oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and methanol-tolerant stability compared to typical commercial electrocatalyst (Pt/XC-72). The superior electrochemical performances observed for the synthesized Pt-NOMCs have been attributed to the dispersion and unique nanostructure of Pt NPs particularly in the presence of pyridinic-N atoms in the mesoporous carbon supports.