Synthesis of Pt-W Bimetallic Hetronanostructures with High Activity for OxygenReduction Reaction in PEMFC Applications

Platinum is the most effective catalyst to facilitate oxygen reduction in a polymer electrolyte membranefuel cell. Controlling the morphology of Platinum nanostructures can provide a great opportunity toimprove their catalytic properties and increase their activity on a mass basis. In this article, a novelPlatinium- tungsten (Pt-W) hetronanostructure bimetallic electrocatalyst with an average size of ۱۸ nmwas synthesized by the solution-phase method. Field emission scanning electron microscopy imagesshow that the synthesized Pt-W hetronanostrucures are dendritic and have benches in variousdirections. The Pt-W nanodendrites were more active on the basis of equivalent Pt mass for the oxygenreduction reaction than the state-of-the-art Pt/C catalyst. The electrochemical reaction seemed to beunder kinetic and diffusion control in the range of ۰.۷۵–۰.۲۳V and the diffusion limiting currents wereobtained in the potential region below ۰.۲۳V. Pt-W/C electrode showed a smaller limiting current inORR than that of Pt/C electrode.