Mixing platinum with common metals significantly boosts fuel cell catalyst efficiency
In short: Researchers who tested platinum alloys with nickel, cobalt, and iron found that these combinations significantly outperform pure platinum in oxygen reduction reactions. By sputtering these metals together, the team observed that the alloys produced kinetic current densities up to 20 times higher than pure platinum, which is a critical reaction for powering technologies like electric vehicles.
The study suggests that the performance boost comes from an electronic effect: the underlying alloy creates a thin surface layer of platinum with increased d-electron vacancies. This change in electronic structure facilitates the chemical reaction more effectively than pure platinum alone.
The experiments were conducted using hydrodynamic voltammograms in perchloric acid. While the results show a clear enhancement in activity, the study is limited to specific alloy compositions and surface conditions observed in a laboratory setting.
Why it matters: Small amounts of common metals can make platinum catalysts much more efficient for green energy technologies.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Research: Toda et al. (1999). Enhancement of the Electroreduction of Oxygen on Pt Alloys with Fe, Ni, and Co. Journal of The Electrochemical Society.
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