Sulfur-anchoring synthesis of platinum intermetallic nanoparticle catalysts for fuel cells

Abstract

Sulfur-stabilized intermetallic nanoparticles Nanoparticles of intermetallic alloys of platinum could have enhanced electronic properties that improve their catalytic activity, but the high temperatures needed to ensure complete atomic diffusion often lead to the growth of larger nanoparticles—sintering—with low surface area and hence low overall activity. Yang et al . show that sulfur-doped carbon supports create strong platinum-sulfur bonds that stabilize small platinum alloy nanoparticles (<5 nanometers in diameter) to temperatures up to 1000ºC. They screened libraries of platinum alloys and identified ones with high mass activity for the oxygen reduction reaction in hydrogen fuel cells. —PDS