Electronic and atomic structure of platinum-cobalt nanocatalysts

X-ray diffraction in combination with X-ray emission and EXAFS spectroscopy were used to study the electronic and atomic structure of metal nanoparticles stabilized on a carbon support in novel Pt x Co/C catalysts of different composition with the molar ratio Pt:Co ( x ) of 1 to 3. Cobalt atoms in nanoparticles, which average size was 2–4 nm, were shown to form chemical bonds both with platinum atoms and carbon atoms of the support material.