Process for synthesizing the ordered tetragonal platinum-iron nanocatalyst coated with a nitrogen-doped carbon shell. Image: Institute for Basic Science.Scientists operating out of the Institute for Basic Science’s Center for Nanoparticle Research in Seoul, South Korea, have produced highly durable and active intermetallic platinum-iron nanoparticles coated with a nitrogen-doped carbon shell for use as fuel cell catalysts.
The scientists synthesized these face-centered tetragonal platinum-iron nanoparticles, only a few nanometers thick, by thermal annealing at 700°C. This thermal annealing generated a carbon outer layer that protects the nanoparticles from the harsh operating conditions within the fuel cell, preventing them from being dissolved or becoming detached from their solid support.
Nanoparticle-based electrocatalysts have been intensively investigated as a cheaper replacement for conventional platinum catalysts, which are required to promote the reactions that convert chemical energy into electricity in fuel cells. Scientists are interested in taking advantage of the high activity and surface area of nanoparticles, but their use as a fuel cell electrocatalyst has been impeded by their low physical and chemical stability.
Under standard fuel cell operating conditions, nanoparticles are often oxidized, dissolved or detached from the solid support, causing them to lose their catalytic activity. Ordered intermetallic nanoparticles are considered to be one of the most promising candidates for achieving both high activity and stability in practical fuel cell applications.
The novel ordered tetragonal platinum-iron nanocatalyst coated with a nitrogen-doped carbon shell demonstrated higher performance and durability compared to both a disordered face-centered cubic platinum-iron nanocatalyst and commercial platinum catalysts. According to a paper on the work in the Journal of the American Chemical Society, this novel platinum-iron nanocatalyst “can open a new possibility for the development of high performance and cost effective fuel cell catalysts”.
This story is adapted from material from the Institute for Basic Science, with editorial changes made by Materials Today. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent those of Elsevier. Link to original source.