Layered PtTe₂ Matches Electrocatalytic Performance of Pt/C for Oxygen Reduction Reaction with Significantly Lower Toxicity

Oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) is an important reaction for fuel cells and platinum on carbon (Pt/C) is a typical electrocatalyst for ORR in industrial applications. There is a constant search for a replacement for Pt/C with better ORR electrocatalytic performance but thus far, most materials show poorer electrocatalytic activity than Pt/C. Herein, we present electrocatalytical studies of platinum (Pt) dichalcogenides as alternative electrocatalyst for ORR. Interestingly, not only have we found that PtTe₂ demonstrates similar electrocatalytic performance for ORR but its toxicity is significantly lower than the toxicity of Pt/C. This study shows that layered transition metal dichalcogenide family members have strong application potential not only for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER – proton reduction), but also, unexpectedly, for oxygen reduction reaction. We demonstrate PtTe₂ as a safer alternative electrocatalyst material for ORR. These studies can allow better understanding of the electrocatalytic performance and toxicological profiles of Pt dichalcogenides in comparison to Pt/C to aid future mass application and commercialization in clean energy reactions such as ORR