The role of nitrogen in a carbon support on the increased activity and stability of a Pt catalyst in electrochemical hydrogen oxidation

Nitrogen-containing carbon materials were prepared by acetonitrile pyrolysis on carbon black and used as a support for a Pt catalyst. The Pt particles on N-containing carbon exhibited increased activity and stability in electrochemical hydrogen oxidation relative to Pt on pristine carbon black. The N-doped carbon had a graphitic structure and contained pyridinic and quaternary nitrogen species. The Pt nanoparticles were better-dispersed because of increased hydrophilicity induced by the nitrogen species. The Pt/N-containing carbon showed higher stability in a potential cycling test than Pt/C, because of an increased metal-support interaction. Using XPS and EELS mapping, we demonstrated that the metal-support interaction became stronger and more specific by adding nitrogen into carbon. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.