Carbon-Supported Divacancy-Anchored Platinum Single-Atom Electrocatalysts with Superhigh Pt Utilization for the Oxygen Reduction Reaction

Maximizing the platinum utilization in electrocatalysts toward oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) is very desirable for large-scale sustainable application of Pt in energy systems. A cost-effective carbon-supported carbon-defect-anchored platinum single-atom electrocatalysts (Pt-1/C) with remarkable ORR performance is reported. An acidic H-2/O-2 single cell with Pt-1/C as cathode delivers a maximum power density of 520 mW cm(-2) at 80 degrees C, corresponding to a superhigh platinum utilization of 0.09 g(Pt) kW(-1). Further physical characterization and density functional theory computations reveal that single Pt atoms anchored stably by four carbon atoms in carbon divacancies (Pt-C-4) are the main active centers for the observed high ORR performance.