Multi-component ptfeconi core-shell nanoparticles on mwcnts as promising bifunctional catalyst for oxygen reduction and oxygen evolution reactions

Abstract: The development of commercially viable fuel cells and metal air batteries requires effective and cheap bifunctional catalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and the oxygen evolution reaction (OER). Multi-component Pt-Fe-Co-Ni nanoparticles on multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) were synthesized by wet chemistry route via NaBH4 reduction of metal salts, followed by sintering at different temperatures. The catalyst demonstrates an excellent ORR activity and a promising OER activity in 0.1 m KOH, with a bi-functional overpotential, ΔE of 0.83 V, which is comparable to the values of Pt/C or RuO2. Furthermore, it shows outstanding long-term stability in ORR and OER, namely diffusion limited current density at a potential of 0.3 V decreased just by 5.5% after 10000 cycles in ORR. The results of the PFCN@NT300 indicate a significant effect of the substitution of Pt by the transition metal (TM) and the formation of nanoparticles on the catalytic performance, especially in the OER. TechnicalRemarks: TEM data in Velox and Digital Micrograph format, XPS data in CASA format, TGA as text file, XRD as text file with angle and intensity.