Exploiting the Synergistic Electronic Interaction between Pt-Skin Wrapped Intermetallic PtCo Nanoparticles and Co-N-C Support for Efficient ORR/EOR Electrocatalysis in a Direct Ethanol Fuel Cell

The development of low-Pt catalysts with high activity and durability is critical for fuel cells. Here, Pt-skin wrapped sub-5 nm PtCo intermetallic nanoparticles are successfully mounted on single atom Co-N-C support by exploiting the barrier effect of Co-anchor. According to a collaborative experimental and computational investigation, the increased oxygen reduction reaction activity of PtCo/Co-N-C arises from the direct electron transfer from PtCo to Co-N-C, and the resulting optimal d-band center of Pt. Owing to such unique electronic structure interaction and synergistic effect, the specific and mass activities of PtCo/Co-N-C are up to 4.20 mA cm(-2) and 2.71 A mg(Pt)(-1), respectively, with barely degraded stability after 40 000 CV cycles. The PtCo/Co-N-C also exhibits outstanding activity as an ethanol electrocatalyst. This work shows a new and effective route to boost the overall efficiency of direct ethanol fuel cells in acidic media by integrating intermetallic low-Pt alloys and single atom carbon support.

Automated summary

The development of low-Pt catalysts with high activity and durability is crucial for fuel cells. In this study, sub-5 nm PtCo intermetallic nanoparticles with Pt-skin wrapping are successfully mounted on a single atom Co-N-C support using the barrier effect of Co-anchor. The enhanced oxygen reduction reaction activity of PtCo/Co-N-C is attributed to the direct electron transfer from PtCo to Co-N-C, resulting in an optimal d-band center of Pt. The unique electronic structure interaction and synergistic effect contribute to the excellent activity and stability of PtCo/Co-N-C, making it a promising catalyst for direct ethanol fuel cells in acidic media.