Highly uniform distribution of Pt nanoparticles on N-doped hollow carbon spheres with enhanced durability for oxygen reduction reaction

Abstract

Carbon-supported Pt nanostructures currently exhibit great potential in polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells. Nitrogen-doped hollow carbon spheres (NHCSs) with extra low density and high specific surface area are a promising carbon support for loading Pt NPs. The doped heteroatom of nitrogen not only contributes to the active activity for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), but also shows a strong interaction with Pt NPs for entrapping them to prevent dissolution/migration. This synergetic effect/interaction resulted in the uniform dispersion and strong combination of the Pt NPs on the carbon support and thus plays a significant role in hindering the degradation of the catalytic activities of Pt NPs. As expected, the as-obtained Pt/NHCSs displayed improved catalytic activity and superior durability toward the ORR.