Benchmarking the oxygen reduction reaction activity of Pt-based catalysts using standardized rotating disk electrode methods

Thin-film rotating disk electrodes (TF-RDEs) have become the preferred half-cell technique for screening small lab-scale quantities of electrocatalysts targeted for proton exchange membrane fuel cells. Utilizing standardized protocols and best practices for Nafion-based catalyst layer fabrication, we demonstrate that catalyst layers fabricated with the rotational air drying technique result in improved film quality and ∼1.6× higher ORR activity as compared to the conventional stationary air drying technique for PtCo/C catalysts. The ORR activity of a series of candidate Pt-based electrocatalysts having improved kinetics (Pt-alloys), corrosion-resistance carbon supports, various Pt wt% and the implications for practical proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) is discussed. •Rotationally dried catalyst film is more uniform than stationary dried one.•Rotationally dried film shows higher measured activities than stationary dried one.•Pt-alloy/C catalysts have been re-evaluated using rotational drying technique.•Alternative corrosion-resistant catalysts have been evaluated for ORR activity.