Article abstract
Nature Chemistry 1, 552 - 556 (2009)
Published online: 23 September 2009 | doi:10.1038/nchem.367
Subject Categories: Catalysis | Surface chemistry | Materials chemistry
Alloys of platinum and early transition metals as oxygen reduction electrocatalysts
J. Greeley1,3, I. E. L. Stephens2, A. S. Bondarenko2, T. P. Johansson2, H. A. Hansen1, T. F. Jaramillo2,3, J. Rossmeisl1, I. Chorkendorff2 & J. K. Nørskov1
Abstract
The widespread use of low-temperature polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells for mobile applications will require significant reductions in the amount of expensive Pt contained within their cathodes, which drive the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). Although progress has been made in this respect, further reductions through the development of more active and stable electrocatalysts are still necessary. Here we describe a new set of ORR electrocatalysts consisting of Pd or Pt alloyed with early transition metals such as Sc or Y. They were identified using density functional theory calculations as being the most stable Pt- and Pd-based binary alloys with ORR activity likely to be better than Pt. Electrochemical measurements show that the activity of polycrystalline Pt3Sc and Pt3Y electrodes is enhanced relative to pure Pt by a factor of 1.5–1.8 and 6–10, respectively, in the range 0.9–0.87 V.
- Center for Atomic-scale Materials Design, Department of Physics, Building 311, Technical University of Denmark, DK-2800 Lyngby, Denmark
- Center for Individual Nanoparticle Functionality, Department of Physics, Building 312, Technical University of Denmark, DK-2800 Lyngby, Denmark
- Present address: Center for Nanoscale Materials, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, Illinois 60439 (J.G.), Department of Chemical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305-5025 (T.F.J.)
Correspondence to: J. K. Nørskov1 e-mail: norskov@fysik.dtu.dk
