Pt–Ru–Co catalysts for PEMFC synthesized by combustion

In this work the novel use of urea combustion synthesis as a straightforward method for the preparation of a trimetallic alloy, 60 Pt–30 Ru–10 Co (mol%) is described. A novel composition in the Pt–Ru–Co ternary system has been considered for a possible substitution of commercial anode catalysts in PEMFC. The specific surface area (102 m2/g) of the carbon supported catalysts produces anodes which gave power density stable values of 260 mW/cm2. The XPS (X-ray Photoelectron Spectrometry) data showed that combustion synthesis produces Platinum and Cobalt segregated in the catalyst’s surface, these metals are layered structured and exhibit different oxidation states.