Coordination compounds as the precursors for preparation of nanosized platinum or platinum-containing mixed-metal catalysts of oxygen reduction reaction

Nanosized mixed-metal platinum-iron, platinum-anganese and platinum-nickel catalysts supported on highly dispersed carbon black are synthesized by using the corresponding metal complexes with the atomic metal ratio of 1:1. The obtained catalysts are characterized by X-ray phase diffraction and scattering analysis, electron dispersion analysis, scanning and transmission electron microscopy. Thin film rotating disk electrode technique was used to study kinetic parameters of the oxygen reduction reaction at these catalysts. It has been demonstrated that electrochemical activity of the prepared catalysts is comparable to that of a commercial E-Tek platinum catalyst. The membrane electrode assembly (MEA) with the synthesized platinum-iron catalyst was tested in a laboratory hydrogen-air fuel cell setup at room temperature. It was shown that the power performance of this MEA was twice better than that of a MEA on the base of a commercial Pt/C E-Tek catalyst.