Platinum Nanoparticles Encapsulated in Nitrogen-Doped Mesoporous Carbons as Methanol-Tolerant Oxygen Reduction Electrocatalysts

Platinum nanoparticles (Pt NPs) encapsulated in nitrogen-doped mesoporous carbons (NMCs) are prepared by direct carbonization of zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8)-encapsulated Pt NPs, and used as a methanol-tolerant oxygen reduction electrocatalyst. ZIF-8 is used as the carbon and nitrogen precursors and as a matrix for Pt NPs. The obtained Pt NP-NMC hybrids are characterized in detail. The results show that the Pt NP-NMC hybrids possess high surface area (1226 m(2) g(-1)), abundant mesopores with narrow pore size distribution (centered at 3.9 nm), nitrogen doping (5.13 at %), and small and well-dispersed encapsulated Pt NPs (3.7 nm). Furthermore, the prepared Pt NP-NMC catalyst exhibits high electrocatalytic activity, high stability and excellent methanol tolerance in the oxygen reduction reaction.