Bimetallic Cu/Pt oxygen reduction reaction catalyst for fuel cells cathode materials

Abstract

The oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) is a key process for the operation of fuel cells. To accelerate the sluggish kinetics of ORR, a wide range of catalysts have been proposed and tested. In this work, a nano-dispersed copper-impregnated platinum catalyst prepared by electrodeposition of platinum on a poly[Cu(Salen)] template followed by polymer destruction is described. In addition to the high activity of the thus prepared catalyst in the oxygen reduction reaction surpassing that of both polycrystalline platinum catalyst and the commercial carbon-platinum catalyst (“E-TEK”), it showed remarkable tolerance to the presence of methanol in solution.