Self-Assembly Intermetallic PtCu₃ Core with High-Index Faceted Pt Shell for High-Efficiency Oxygen Reduction

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry
• Catalysis

Background:

• Sluggish oxygen reduction reactions (ORR) hinder electrochemical device efficiency.
• Rational design of active sites is key to improving ORR performance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a facile self-assembly strategy for a core-shell catalyst with enhanced ORR activity.
• To investigate the structural and electronic properties influencing the catalyst's performance.

Main Methods:

• Surfactant-oriented and solvent-ligand effects guided self-assembly.
• Fabrication of a PtCu3 intermetallic core followed by Pt shell deposition.
• Operando spectroscopies and theoretical investigations.

Main Results:

• A core-shell catalyst with a PtCu3 core and high-index Pt shell was successfully synthesized.
• Achieved a high half-wave potential of 0.911 V vs. RHE with exceptional stability (15000 cycles).
• Identified facilitated oxygen intermediate conversion and enhanced antidissolution ability.

Conclusions:

• The core-shell catalyst design significantly boosts oxygen reduction reaction performance.
• High-index Pt steps and reinforced electronic interactions stabilize key intermediates.
• This approach offers a promising pathway for designing efficient electrocatalysts.