Medium-Sized Intermetallic PtCo Catalysts for Low-Pt Heavy-Duty Fuel Cells

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry
• Catalysis

Background:

• Proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) are crucial for heavy-duty vehicles.
• Stringent operating conditions demand high catalyst performance and durability.
• Reducing platinum (Pt) loading while maintaining efficiency is a key challenge.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a PtCo intermetallic nanocatalyst for improved PEMFC performance.
• To overcome limitations of current catalysts in balancing activity and durability.
• To enable efficient operation under demanding conditions with reduced Pt usage.

Main Methods:

• High-temperature pyrolysis of a bimetallic complex.
• Synthesis of a highly ordered L1₀ PtCo intermetallic nanocatalyst.
• Characterization of nanoparticle size (∼6 nm) and ordering degree (∼80%).

Main Results:

• The PtCo catalyst demonstrated exceptional structural and compositional stability.
• Achieved high catalytic activity with synergistic optimization of thermodynamic and strain properties.
• Delivered a current density of 1.21 A cm⁻² at 0.7 V with a low cathode loading (0.1 mg_Pt cm⁻²).
• Exhibited a Pt utilization of 6.8 kW g_Pt⁻¹, surpassing the DOE target by over 100% after 90,000 cycles.

Conclusions:

• The developed L1₀ PtCo intermetallic nanocatalyst offers a promising solution for efficient and durable PEMFCs.
• This catalyst design significantly enhances Pt utilization for heavy-duty vehicle applications.
• The findings pave the way for cost-effective and high-performance fuel cell technologies.