Tuning d-Band Center of Pt by PtCo-PtSn Heterostructure for Enhanced Oxygen Reduction Reaction Performance

The development of efficient and stable Pt-based catalysts is significant but challenging for fuel cells. Herein, Sn and Co elements are introduced into Pt to form PtCo-PtSn/C heterostructure for enhancing the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). Electrochemical results indicate that it has remarkable ORR intrinsic activity with a high mass activity (1,158 mA mg(-1) Pt) at 0.9 V in HClO4 solution, which is 2.18-, 6.81-, and 9.98-fold higher than that of PtCo/C, PtSn/C, and Pt/C. More importantly, the catalytic activity attenuation for PtCo-PtSn/C is only 27.4% after 30 000 potential cycles, showing high stability. Furthermore, theoretical calculations reveal that the enhancement is attributed to charge transfer and the unique structure of PtCo-PtSn/C heterostructure, which regulate the d-band center of Pt and prevent non-noble metals from further dissolution. This work thus opens a way to design and prepare highly efficient Pt-based alloy catalysts for proton exchange membrane fuel cells.