Ultralow-loading platinum-cobalt fuel cell catalysts derived from imidazolate frameworks

Lina Chong, Jianguo Wen, Joseph Kubal, Fatih G. Sen, Jianxin Zou, Jeffery Greeley, Maria Chan, Heather Barkholtz, Wenjiang Ding, Di Jia Liu*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

839 Scopus citations

Abstract

Achieving high catalytic performance with the lowest possible amount of platinum is critical for fuel cell cost reduction. Here we describe a method of preparing highly active yet stable electrocatalysts containing ultralow-loading platinum content by using cobalt or bimetallic cobalt and zinc zeolitic imidazolate frameworks as precursors. Synergistic catalysis between strained platinum-cobalt core-shell nanoparticles over a platinum-group metal (PGM)–free catalytic substrate led to excellent fuel cell performance under 1 atmosphere of O2 or air at both high-voltage and high-current domains. Two catalysts achieved oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) mass activities of 1.08 amperes per milligram of platinum (A mgPt −1) and 1.77 A mgPt −1 and retained 64% and 15% of initial values after 30,000 voltage cycles in a fuel cell. Computational modeling reveals that the interaction between platinum-cobalt nanoparticles and PGM-free sites improves ORR activity and durability.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)1276-1281
Number of pages6
JournalScience
Volume362
Issue number6420
DOIs
StatePublished - Dec 14 2018

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General

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