An interconnected-graphene enveloped titanium dioxide flower as a robust support for proton exchange membrane fuel cells

Support corrosion is a traditional intractable problem for oxygen electrodes of fuel cells, so developing anti-corrosion supports is highly desirable. Herein, we fabricate a three-dimensional (3D) interconnected-graphene enveloped titanium dioxide flower (TiO2@RGO) as a robust support for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). Benefiting from the unique 3D architecture, the TiO2@RGO composite possesses both a large surface area of 174 m(2) g(-1) and a superior electrical conductivity of 0.19 S cm(-1), enabling an electron highway for efficient simultaneous mass transfer of reactants. After loading Pt nanoparticles, the Pt-TiO2@RGO catalyst exhibits a similar catalytic activity to the commercial Pt/C catalyst, while superior stability under the accelerated degradation protocols for both catalysts (0.6-1.0V(RHE)) and supports (1.0-1.5V(RHE)), due to the strong metal-support interaction (SMSI) of Pt nanoparticles and the TiO2@RGO composite support. The PEMFC with the Pt-TiO2@RGO cathode delivers a peak power density of 901 mW cm(-2), which is comparable to that with a Pt/C cathode. This work proposes a new strategy for designing robust catalyst supports for PEMFCs.

Automated summary

In this study, a three-dimensional interconnected graphene enveloped titanium dioxide flower (TiO2@RGO) was fabricated as a robust support for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). The TiO2@RGO composite exhibited a large surface area and superior electrical conductivity, providing an efficient electron highway for reactant transport. With the loading of Pt nanoparticles, the Pt-TiO2@RGO catalyst showed comparable catalytic activity and superior stability, suggesting its potential as a robust catalyst support for proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs).