Top-Down Synthesis of Nanostructured Platinum-Lanthanide Alloy Oxygen Reduction Reaction Catalysts: Pt Pr/C as an Example.

The oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) is of great interest for future sustainable energy conversion and storage, especially concerning fuel cell applications. The preparation of active, affordable, and scalable electrocatalysts and their application in fuel cell engines of hydrogen cars is a prominent step toward the reduction of air pollution, especially in urban areas. Alloying nanostructured Pt with lanthanides is a promising approach to enhance its catalytic ORR activity, whereby the development of a simple synthetic route turned out to be a nontrivial endeavor.