Donghong Duan

Performance of Pt/C Doped with Ni for Oxygen Electro-Reduction in Alkaline Media

Abstract Carbon-supported Pt-Ni catalyst samples were prepared by the colloidal method and characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopic (XPS) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Potentiodynamic was used to measure the performance of the electro-catalysts for the oxygen electro-reduction. The results indicate that the Pt-Ni alloy particles are distributed homogeneously on the carbon surface, and their particle sizes are 3−5 nm. In the same alkali concentration solution, the activity and methanol-tolerance of Pt nano-particle catalysts are greatly enhanced by doping Ni. For the catalyst, the optimum atom ratio of Pt to Ni is Pt 50 Ni 50 /C, and its methanol-tolerance is enhanced markedly as compared with Pt/C. The maximal current of the oxygen electro-reduction over Pt 50 Ni 50 /C reaches 106 mA/mg, and the onset over potential is 50 mV less than that over Pt/C in 0.1 mol/L KOH solution.