Gd-doped PtCo Nanoparticles Embedded in Hollow Mesoporous Carbon Derived From Space-Confined Polymerization of Indene Boosting Oxygen Reduction Reaction.

Developing suitable carbon supports and efficient Pt-based nanoparticles for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) is crucial for accelerating the commercialization of proton-exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs). In this study, indene-derived hollow mesoporous carbon spheres are synthesized for the first time using space-confined polymerization and subsequent annealing. The incorporation of Gd-doped PtCo nanoparticles into the hollow mesoporous carbon spheres (Gd-PtCo@HMS) resulted in catalysts with an impressive mass activity (MA) of 1.83 A mg at 0.9 V. The Gd-PtCo@HMS catalyst exhibits excellent durability, as indicated by the minimal change in its E after 30,000 cycles. In a hydrogen-oxygen full cell, the membrane electrode assembly (MEA) with the Gd-PtCo@HMS catalyst achieves a current density of 1.44 A cm at 0.6 V and a peak power density of 1.4 W cm. This enhancement is attributed to the increased binding strength of the Pt─O bond on Gd-PtCo (111), which results in a notable reduction in ΔE. Additionally, the optimization of surface energy due to Gd doping contributes to the outstanding durability of the catalysts during the ORR. This research presents a novel method for developing efficient and stable oxygen reduction catalysts and has significant implications for next-generation fuel cell applications.