A Highly Efficient pH‐Universal HOR Catalyst with Engineered Electronic Structures of Single Pt Sites by Isolated Co Atoms

Abstract

AbstractDeveloping a high‐efficiency, stable, and CO‐toxicant‐resistant low‐cost hydrogen oxidation reaction (HOR) electrocatalyst is challenging but is vital for practical proton/anion exchange membrane fuel cells. Herein, an efficient pH‐universal HOR catalyst Pt1@Co1CN is fabricated, in which the electronic structure of single Pt sites is modulated by isolated Co atoms pre‐anchored on nitrogen‐doped carbon. Pt1@Co1CN exhibits superior HOR activity and durability under pH‐universal media than Pt1@CN (anchored single Pt atoms on nitrogen‐doped carbon) and commercial PtRu/C and Pt/C. More importantly, Pt1@Co1CN possesses much better CO anti‐poisoning ability than Pt1@CN and commercial PtRu/C and Pt/C. It is speculated that the superior pH‐universal HOR performance can be attributed to the inter‐regulation of adjacent Co and Pt sites, leading to the downshift of anti‐bonding state and consequently strengthening the *H adsorption, which promotes the kinetics of HOR.