PtM/C (M = Co, Ni, Cu, Ru) catalysts were prepared by wet-synthesis methods. The composition and structure of the synthesized materials were estimated by TXRF, XRD, TEM, HAADF-STEM, EDX, and TGA/DSC methods. According to the CV and LSV methods, the PtCu/C material is characterized by the highest activity in the ORR compared to the other materials studied. The PtRu/C catalysts also exhibit the highest activity in the MOR. Studying the durability of the obtained bimetallic catalysts using accelerated stress testing has allowed for the detection of the most promising materials, whose characteristics would be superior to those of the commercial Pt/C analog. This study has shown that wet-synthesis methods allow obtaining bimetallic catalysts characterized by higher activity and enhanced durability. This research also indicates that special attention should be given to the possibility of scaling these synthesis techniques, which makes the aforementioned catalysts promising for commercial applications.

Studying the ORR activity of platinum-based electrocatalysts is an urgent task in the development of materials for proton-exchange membrane fuel cells. The catalytic ink composition and the formation technique of a thin layer at the RDE play a significant role in studying ORR activity. The use of a polymer ionomer in the catalytic ink provides viscosity as well as proton conductivity. Nafion is widely used as an ionomer for research both at the RDE and in the MEA. The search for ionomers is a priority task in the development of the MEA components to replace Nafion. The study also considers the possibility of using the LF4-SK polymer as an alternative ionomer. The comparative results on the composition and techniques of applying the catalytic layer using LF4-SK and Nafion ionomers are presented, and the influence of the catalytic ink composition on the electrochemical characteristics of commercial platinum–carbon catalysts and a highly efficient platinum catalyst based on an N-doped carbon support is assessed.

The presented study is concerned with a new multi-step method to synthesize PtCo/C materials based on composite Co_xO_y/C that combines the advantages of different liquid-phase synthesis methods. Based on the results of studying the materials at each stage of synthesis with the TG, XRD, TEM, SEI, TXRF, CV and LSV methods, a detailed overview of the sequential changes in catalyst composition and structure at each stage of the synthesis is presented. The PtCo/C catalyst synthesized with the multi-step method is characterized by a uniform distribution of bimetallic nanoparticles of about 3 nm in size over the surface of the support, which result in its high ESA and ORR activity. The activity study for the synthesized PtCo/C catalyst in an MEA showed better current–voltage characteristics and a higher maximum specific power compared with an MEA based on a commercial Pt/C catalyst. Therefore, the results of the presented study demonstrate high prospects for the developed approach to the multi-step synthesis of PtM/C catalysts, which may enhance the characteristics of proton-exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs).

The composition, structure, catalytic activity in the ORR and stability of PtCo/C materials, obtained in two stages and compared with commercial Pt/C analogs, were studied. At the first stage of the synthesis performed by electrodeposition of cobalt on a carbon support, a CoO_x/C composite containing 8% and 25 wt% cobalt oxide was successfully obtained. In the second step, PtCoO_x/C catalysts of Pt1.56Co and Pt1.12Co composition containing 14 and 30 wt% Pt, respectively, were synthesized based on the previously obtained composites. According to the results of the composition and structure analysis of the obtained PtCoO_x/C catalysts by X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray fluorescence analysis (XRF), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) methods, the formation of small bimetallic nanoparticles on the carbon support surface has been proved. The resulting catalysts demonstrated up to two times higher specific catalytic activity in the ORR and high stability compared to commercial Pt/C analogs.

Materials containing from 3.1 to 7.7 wt % of cobalt were obtained by electrodeposition of cobalt on Vulcan XC72 carbon powder in suspension. The composition and average diameter of CoO crystallites...

The electrodeposition of tin and tin-nickel on a highly dispersed carbon material is used to obtain composite supports. These composite supports were used in the Pt(0) nanoparticles deposition from Pt(IV) solution by chemical reduction. The composition, structure, and activity of the obtained Pt(SnO₂/C) and PtSnNi/C catalysts in the oxygen reduction and alcohol electrooxidation reactions were studied. The composite-support-based platinum catalysts exhibit higher activity in the reactions of alcohols electrooxidation in comparison with the commercial Pt/C analogue. Trimetallic PtSnNi/C catalysts are the most promising materials for the electrooxidation of alcohols.