Highly active and durable Pt/MXene nanocatalysts for ORR in both alkaline and acidic conditions

The widely used carbon supports in the commercial Pt/C catalyst of fuel cells usually suffer rapid corrosion and unstability, and developing alternative support with stable structure and high electric conductivity is highly required. In this study, the accordion-like Ti3C2Tx nanosheets are synthesized by a modified LiF/HCl solution based method, and the obtained MXenes demonstrate good hydration properties, high conductivity and abundant functional groups on the layer surface, which are conducive for the uniform loading of Pt particles. The Pt/MXenes catalyst demonstrates superior durability and activity to Pt/C (commercial) for oxygen reduction reactions in both acid and alkaline environments. The reaction exhibits a dominant four-electron oxygen reduction process. The facile, green and economical approach is promising to produce 2D MXenes based nanocomposite catalysts with well-developed three-phase reaction region to enhance the fuel cell performance.