Pt-Ru atomic alloys confined in mesoporous carbon hollow spheres for accelerating methanol oxidation

Active and durable electrocatalysts are essential for commercializing direct methanol fuel cells. However, Pt-based catalysts, extensively utilized in the methanol oxidation reaction (MOR), are suffered from resource scarcity and CO poisoning, which degrade MOR activity severely. Herein, Pt₁Ru_x bimetallic catalysts were synthesized by confining Pt₁Ru_x alloys within the shells of mesoporous carbon hollow spheres (MCHS) via a vacuum-assisted impregnation method (Pt₁Ru_x@MCHS). The confinement effect induced by mesoporous carbon hollow spheres resulted in a robust structure of Pt₁Ru₃@MCHS with an ultrafine dispersion of alloy nanoparticles. The experimental and theoretical results confirmed that the boosting electrocatalytic activity and stability of the MOR over Pt₁Ru₃@MCHS were contributed to the regulated electronic structure as well as the superior CO tolerance of atomic Pt site caused by the electronic interaction between single Pt atoms and Ru nanoparticles. This strategy is versatile for the rational design of Pt-based bimetallic catalysts and has a positive impact on MOR performance.