High Performing Chemically Ordered Pt2CoNi/Ti@C as an Efficient and Stable Cathode Catalyst for Oxygen Reduction

A cathode catalyst with improved activity for oxygen reduction and enhanced stability is highly required in polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs). Herein, we report chemically ordered Pt2CoNi/C with L10 ordered structure, showing higher activity and stability under the RDE condition. The most fascinating behavior of the catalyst was observed after 60k cycles wherein the specific electrocatalytic activity observed was 3.3 times as high as Pt/C. At 60k cycles the obtained mass activity (Im) and specific activity (Is) was found to be higher than that of the DOE target for MEA, 2025. It also showed promising behavior as a potential cathode catalyst in the membrane electrode assembly (MEA) under the actual operating conditions of PEMFC and exhibited a higher power density than the state-of-the-art Pt/C catalyst. The synergistic effect between the ordered particles of Pt2CoNi and the hybrid support of Ti@C improves the electrocatalytic performance and longevity of Pt2CoNi/Ti@C toward ORR under the harsh acidic medium.