Unlocking Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell Performance with Porous PtCoV Alloy Catalysts.

Journal: Advanced materials (Deerfield Beach, Fla.)
Published Date: May 2, 2025

Abstract

Carbon-supported Pt-based catalysts in fuel cells often suffer from sulfonate poisoning, reducing Pt utilization and activity. Herein, a straightforward strategy is developed for synthesizing a porous PtCoV nanoalloy embedded within the porous structures of carbon nanofibers. Incorporation of vanadium (V) atoms into the PtCo alloy optimizes the oxygen binding energy of Pt sites, while heightening the dissolution energy barrier for both Pt and Co atoms, leading to a significantly enhanced intrinsic activity and durability of the catalyst. By encapsulating the nanoalloys within porous nanofibers, a non-contact Pt-ionomer interface is created to mitigate the poisoning effect of sulfonate groups to Pt sites, while promoting oxygen permeation and allowing proton transfer. This rational architecture liberates additional active Pt sites, while the evolved porous nanostructure of the PtCoV alloy extends its exposed surface area, thereby boosting Pt utilization within the catalytic layer and overall fuel cell performance. The optimized catalyst demonstrates an exceptional peak power density of 29.0 kW g and an initial mass activity of 0.69 A mg , which exceeds the U.S. Department of Energy 2025 targets. This study provides a promising avenue for developing highly active and durable low-Pt electrocatalysts for fuel cell applications.

Authors

  • Lei Zhao
    Brain Cognition and Brain-Computer Intelligence Integration Group, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, China.
  • Zhaozhao Zhu
    School of Materials and Energy, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, 611731, China.
  • Junjie Wang
    School of Computer Science and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, China.
  • Jiayu Zuo
    School of Materials and Energy, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, 611731, China.
  • Haiyuan Chen
    School of Materials and Energy, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, 611731, China.
  • Xueqiang Qi
    School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Chongqing University of Technology, Chongqing, 400054, China.
  • Xiaobin Niu
    School of Materials and Energy, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, 611731, China.
  • Daniel John Blackwood
    Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117574, Singapore.
  • Jun Song Chen
    School of Materials and Energy, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, 611731, China.
  • Rui Wu
    School of Materials and Energy, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, 611731, China.

Keywords

No keywords available for this article.

External Resources

Popular Topics
Recent Journals