A Large-Scalable, Surfactant-Free, and Ultrastable Ru-Doped Pt3Co Oxygen Reduction Catalyst

Developing a large-scale method to produce platinum (Pt)-based electrocatalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) is highly desirable to propel the commercialization of the membrane electrode assembly (MEA). Here, we successfully report the large-scale production of surfactant-free ruthenium-doped Pt-cobalt octahedra grown on carbon (Ru-Pt3Co/C), which display a much higher ORR activity and stability and MEA stability than Pt3Co/C and Pt/C. Significantly, the in-situ X-ray absorption fine structure result reveals that Ru can drive the reduced Pt atoms to reverse to their initial state after the ORR by transferring a redundant electron from Pt to Ru, preventing the over-reduction of Pt active sites and boosting the chemical stability. Theory investigations further confirm that the doped Ru can accelerate the breach and desorption of oxygen intermediates, making it active and durable for the ORR. The present work sheds light on the exploration of a large-scale strategy for producing advanced Pt-based nanocatalysts, which may offer significant advantages for practical fuel cell applications in the future.

Automated summary

This study successfully developed a large-scale method to produce ruthenium-doped platinum-cobalt octahedra, which exhibited higher ORR activity, stability, and MEA stability compared to traditional Pt3Co/C and Pt/C. Furthermore, it was found that doped ruthenium can enhance the chemical stability of platinum, accelerate the breach and desorption of oxygen intermediates, making it more active and durable for the ORR. The findings shed light on exploring a large-scale strategy for producing advanced Pt-based nanocatalysts with significant advantages for future practical fuel cell applications.