Platinum-based nanocatalysts for fuel cells: Design, synthesis, and performance evaluation

As the global energy structure shifts toward clean and low-carbon solutions, proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) have become one of the core technologies for new energy vehicles and distributed energy systems, owing to their high energy conversion efficiency and zero carbon emissions. However, the large-scale commercialization of fuel cells still faces critical challenges: the sluggish kinetics of the cathodic oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) require reliance on high-loading platinum (Pt)-based catalysts, leading to elevated costs. Furthermore, during the actual operation of fuel cells, the disordered arrangement of atoms can cause more reactive alloy elements to be susceptible to acid corrosion, thereby compromising the overall structure of the platinum alloy and significantly reducing the catalyst's activity and stability. Consequently, developing ORR catalysts with high activity, high stability, and low Pt usage is central to advancing fuel cell technology. Ordered structures, by enabling atomic-level precision in regulating the geometric, electronic, and interfacial properties of catalysts, can significantly enhance the performance of fuel cell catalysts. The design and application of ordered-structure catalysts offer a new pathway toward achieving high efficiency, low cost, and long lifespan in fuel cells. The design and synthesis of ordered-structure catalytic materials are closely related to the structure, composition, and phase diagrams of alloy systems. This study employs a phase diagram-guided approach encompassing the "design-synthesis- performance evaluation" of Pt-based nanocatalytic materials, laying the foundation for accelerating breakthroughs in key fuel cell catalyst technologies.