Ultrathin nitrogen doped carbon layer stabilized Pt electrocatalyst supported on N-doped carbon nanotubes

Abstract

The enhancements in fuel cell performance and durability are crucial for the commercialization of polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEFCs). Here, we deposit platinum nanoparticles on nitrogen doped carbon nanotubes (N-CNT) and continuously coat the electrocatalyst with nitrogen doped carbon (NC) layer derived from the carbonization of poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) (PVP). The NC-coated electrocatalyst shows stable electrochemical surface area (ECSA) during the potential cycling from 0.6 V to 1.0 V vs. RHE; while, the commercial and non-coated electrocatalysts lose 50% and 33% of initial ECSAs, respectively. Moreover, the NC-coated electrocatalyst shows higher oxygen reaction reduction (ORR) activity compared to non-coated electrocatalyst due to the additional nitrogen atoms in the electrocatalyst. The maximum power density of the coated electrocatalyst reaches 676 mW cm−2 with Pt loading of 0.1 mg cm−2, indicating that the mass power density of the electrocatalyst is one of the highest values in recently published literature. The NC layer is significantly important for simultaneous enhancements in durability and fuel cell performance.