Drastic enhancement of oxygen reduction reaction activity by melamine modification for Pt nanocluster-loaded electrocatalysts

It is essential to improve the activity per amount and durability of Pt used as a catalyst in the oxygen reduction reaction for the wide spread use of environmentally friendly fuel cells. In this study, approximately 1 nm Pt nanocluster (NC)-loaded carbon black (CB) (Pt NC/CB) catalysts were successfully prepared. The obtained Pt NC/CB catalysts exhibited up to 3.25 times higher oxygen reduction reaction mass activity than commercial Pt nanoparticle (NP)/CB catalysts. Furthermore, the melamine-modified Pt NC/CB catalysts achieved up to 6.37 times higher mass activity and 2.5 times higher durability than commercial Pt NP/CB catalysts. Although small Pt NCs were considered to be less durable than Pt NPs owing to their high surface energy, the strong interaction between the Pt NCs and melamine significantly enhances their activity and durability. The findings of this study will result in a significant reduction in Pt usage in polymer electrolyte fuel cells and contribute to their widespread use.