Activity and Stability of Pt/C and Pt-Cu/C Electrocatalysts

Stability in the course of exploitation and catalytic activity in reactions, taking place on the electrodes, are the most important characteristics of electrocatalysts that determine their application in fuel cells. Relationship of the electrochemical behavior of Pt/C catalysts with their morphology is studied in this article. Negative linear correlation between stability and catalytic activity of Pt/C in the reaction of oxygen electroreduction (ORR) has been established. The procedure for choosing electrocatalysts with the optimal ratio of activity and stability has been proposed. Having used Cu x Pt/C catalysts as an example, we have shown that bimetallic electrocatalysts, prepared by sequential deposition of copper and platinum, can demonstrate significantly higher activity and stability, compared to Pt/C electrocatalysts. Graphical Abstract ᅟ