Highly durable platelet carbon nanofiber-supported platinum catalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction

We report the preparation and characterization of highly durable platinum catalysts supported on platelet-structure carbon nanofibers (Pt/p-CNFs) for the oxygen reduction reaction. The p-CNFs were prepared by liquid phase carbonization of polyvinyl chloride using a porous anodic alumina template at 600 °C; their degree of graphitization was increased by the subsequent heat treatment at higher temperatures of up to 1400 °C. The platinum nanoparticles with ∼3 nm diameter were deposited more uniformly on the p-CNFs compared with those on the commercial Ketjen black (KB). The catalytic activity and durability of the Pt/p-CNFs for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in H2SO4 solution were improved by increasing the heat-treatment temperature of p-CNFs. The durability of the Pt/p-CNFs was much higher than that of Pt/KB; in particular, a loss of less than 10% was observed in the ORR activity of Pt/p-CNF heat-treated at 1400 °C after potential cycling from 0.5 to 1.5 V vs. RHE for 200 cycles in an argon-saturated H2SO4 aqueous solution.