Synthesis and characterization of Cu@Pt/C core-shell structured catalysts for proton exchange membrane fuel cell

A Cu@Pt/C catalyst was synthesized by a two-step reduction method using Vulcan XC-72R as the supporting material. Physical and electrochemical techniques were applied to investigate the structure and performance of the catalyst. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) examinations showed that the catalyst has a core-shell structure, the distribution of the catalyst particles is quite uniform, and the particle size ranges from 5 to 6 nm. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) and rotating disk electrode (RDE) tests confirmed the high performance of the Cu@Pt/C catalyst with the atom ratio Cu: Pt of 2.73: 1, making it a promising low-Pt catalyst for proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC).

► A core-shell structure Cu@Pt/C catalyst was prepared by the low-cost and easy operation two-step reduction method.
► The Cu@Pt/C catalyst is well uniform dispersed on carbon support, the particle size of the catalyst is from 5 to 6 nm
► The core-shell structured Cu@Pt/C catalyst improved the utilization of the Pt.