Structured Cathode Catalysts for Fuel Cell Application Derived From Metal-Nitrogen-Carbon Precursors, Using Hierarchically Structured Silica as a Sacrificial Support

Methods for forming novel fuel cell catalysts are described. The catalyst has a physical structure that is the inverse image of a plurality of hierarchically structured sacrificial support particles. The particles may be formed independently and then infused with one or more transitional metallic salts and nitrogen carbon precursors, or the sacrificial support precursors, transitional metallic salts, and nitrogen carbon precursors may all be combined in such a way that a hierarchically structured sacrificial support with the infused transitional metallic salts and nitrogen carbon precursors is formed in a single step. The infused sacrificial support is then pyrolized, at least once, and the sacrificial support is removed, resulting in the catalyst.