High-Pressure Nitrogen Assisted Synthesis of Small-Sized, Carbon-Encapsulated Ptco Alloy Nanoparticles as Highly Stable Oxygen Reduction Catalysts

Abstract

The development of small-sized platinum-based alloy catalysts with exceptional stability is crucial for the advancement of oxygen reduction reactions in fuel cells. Herein, we present a synthesis approach for fabricating small-sized carbon-encapsulated PtCo/C catalysts facilitated by high-pressure nitrogen during thermal treatment. Remarkably, the resulting PtCo/C catalyst exhibits outstanding performance, showcasing minimal degradation (4.7%) in mass activity after enduring 30,000 cycles owing to its robust carbon-coating architecture.

Keywords: Nanoparticles, Sintering, High-pressure nitrogen, Oxygen reduction, Carbon coating