Highly Stable PtPdCu Alloy Nanowire Networks as Oxygen Reduction Electrocatalysts

Abstract

Advancing heteroatomic interactions via alloying or tuning morphology of catalyst is essential to enhance electrocatalytic activity and stability. The multi-metallic PtPdCu nanowire networks (NWs) have been successfully fabricated with a facile approach. The as-prepared PtPdCu NWs possessed rough surface structure, high aspect ratio, and admirable alloy properties. The trimetallic PtPdCu/C catalyst exhibited the highest electrocatalytic properties, with a specific activity and mass activity (total mass of (Pt + Pd)) of 7 times and 3 times higher than that of commercial Pt/C for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). The mass activity of as-synthesized PtPdCu/C NWs only lost 12% after the accelerated durability test of 10,000 cycles, presenting an excellent long-term stability for ORR compared to that of commercial Pt/C and PtPd/C NWs. Furthermore, the NW-based catalyst system also well tolerated to catalyst poisoning. The ternary-composited PtPdCu/C NWs exhibited superior electrocatalytic properties, which have favorable application prospects in fuel cells. The multi-metallic PtPdCu nanowire networks (NWs) have been successfully fabricated with a facile approach. The as-prepared PtPdCu NWs possessed rough surface structure, high aspect ratio, and admirable alloy properties. The trimetallic PtPdCu/C catalyst exhibited the highest electrocatalytic properties, with a specific activity and mass activity (total mass of (Pt + Pd)) of 7 times and 3 times higher than that of commercial Pt/C for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). The mass activity of as-synthesized PtPdCu/C NWs only lost 12% after the accelerated durability test of 10,000 cycles, presenting an excellent long-term stability for ORR compared to that of commercial Pt/C and PtPd/C NWs. Furthermore, the NWs-based catalyst system also well tolerated to catalyst poisoning. The ternary-composited PtPdCu/C NWs exhibited superior electrocatalytic properties, which have favorable application prospects in fuel cells.