Carbon-supported Pt–Co alloy nanoparticles for oxygen reduction reaction

The oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) on carbon-supported Pt–Co alloy nanoparticles has been investigated. As-prepared Pt–Co alloy nanoparticles exhibit a single-phase disordered structure and have a very small particle size. Such alloy catalysts exhibit an enhancement of a factor of ca. 1.3–3.2 in Pt mass activity and of a factor of ca. 1.2–2.2 in the specific activity for the ORR when compared to Pt/C catalyst. The enhanced electrocatalytic activity is attributed to the favorable Pt–Pt mean interatomic distance caused by alloying and to the high dispersion of the alloy catalysts.