Ultra-thin PtFe-nanowires as durable electrocatalysts for fuel cells

Ultra-thin PtxFey-nanowires (PtxFe y-NWs) with a diameter of 2-3 nm were successfully prepared through a solution-phase reduction method at Pt-Fe compositions from 1:1 to 2:1. The carbon supported PtxFey-NWs (PtxFe y-NWs/C) demonstrated higher oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) activity and better electrochemical durability than conventional Pt/C catalyst. After 1000 cycles of 0-1.3 V (versus RHE), the relative electrochemical surface area (ECSA) of Pt2Fe1-NW/C dropped down to 46%, which was two times better than Pt/C catalyst, and the mass activity at 0.85 V (versus RHE) for Pt1Fe 1-NW/C was 39.9 mAmg-Pt-1, which is twice that for Pt/C (18.6 mA mg-Pt-1). © 2011 IOP Publishing Ltd Printed in the UK & the USA