Pt is the state-of-the-art anode catalyst in direct methanol fuel cells. Here we report that Ni₂P promotes the activity and stability of Pt in electrochemical methanol oxidation. Nanoparticles of Ni₂P and Pt were co-deposited on a carbon support and their activity in electrochemical methanol oxidation was measured by cyclic voltammetry. Among all Pt–Ni₂P/C catalysts, the sample with a 30 wt% loading of Ni₂P exhibits the highest electrochemical surface area and activity. The activity of the Pt–Ni₂P/C-30% catalyst is significantly higher than that of Pt/C, Ni-promoted Pt/C, and P-promoted Pt/C catalysts, revealed by cyclic voltammetry, chronoamperometry, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. Accordingly to X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, there is a partial electron transfer from Ni₂P to Pt, which might be an origin of the enhanced catalytic activity of the Pt/Ni₂P bimetallic catalyst. The Pt–Ni₂P/C-30% was integrated into a direct methanol fuel cell; this fuel cell exhibits a maximum power density of 65 mW cm⁻², more than twice of that of an analogous fuel cell using Pt/C as the anode catalyst. The Pt–Ni₂P/C-30%-integrated direct methanol fuel cell has also the highest discharge stability among a series of fuel cells with different Pt-based anode catalysts.

Direct ethanol fuel cells have been widely investigated as nontoxic and low-corrosive energy conversion devices with high energy and power densities. It is still challenging to develop high-activity and durable catalysts for a complete ethanol oxidation reaction on the anode and accelerated oxygen reduction reaction on the cathode. The materials’ physics and chemistry at the catalytic interface play a vital role in determining the overall performance of the catalysts. Herein, we propose a Pd/Co@N-C catalyst that can be used as a model system to study the synergism and engineering at the solid-solid interface. Particularly, the transformation of amorphous carbon to highly graphitic carbon promoted by cobalt nanoparticles helps achieve the spatial confinement effect, which prevents structural degradation of the catalysts. The strong catalyst-support and electronic effects at the interface between palladium and Co@N-C endow the electron-deficient state of palladium, which enhances the electron transfer and improved activity/durability. The Pd/Co@N-C delivers a maximum power density of 438 mW cm⁻² in direct ethanol fuel cells and can be operated stably for more than 1000 hours. This work presents a strategy for the ingenious catalyst structural design that will promote the development of fuel cells and other sustainable energy-related technologies.