Phthalocyanine-Derived Platform toward Integrated Ultralow-Platinum Fuel Cell Catalysts

Area of Science:

• Electrochemistry
• Materials Science
• Catalysis

Background:

• Developing cost-effective proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) is crucial.
• Achieving high performance with ultralow platinum (Pt) loading in membrane electrode assemblies (MEAs) remains a significant challenge.

Purpose of the Study:

• To report a novel hybrid fuel cell catalyst for enhanced PEMFC performance.
• To investigate a catalyst system utilizing ultralow Pt loading for improved cost-effectiveness.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis of a hybrid catalyst comprising Pt-skin Pt3Mn intermetallic on a manganese-nitrogen-carbon (Mn-N-C) support.
• Utilized metal phthalocyanine molecules for simultaneous Pt3Mn synthesis and Mn-N-C construction.
• Evaluated catalyst performance using mass activity measurements and accelerated stress tests (ASTs).
• Conducted mechanistic investigations and theoretical calculations to understand performance contributions.

Main Results:

• The Pt3Mn/Mn-N-C catalyst achieved a high mass activity of 1.22 A mgPt−1 at an ultralow Pt loading of 0.025 mgPt cm−2.
• The catalyst retained 76.3% of its initial mass activity after 30,000-cycle ASTs, demonstrating excellent durability.
• Synergistic effects between Mn-N-C networks and the stable Pt-skin Pt3Mn structure were observed.

Conclusions:

• The developed Pt-skin Pt3Mn/Mn-N-C hybrid catalyst offers a promising pathway towards cost-effective PEMFCs.
• Enhanced Mn specific anchoring contributes to the high activity and durability of the fuel cell catalyst.
• This research advances the development of advanced materials for electrochemical energy conversion devices.