Exploring the Predominant Factors Influencing the Oxygen Reduction Performance of PtCo/C Catalysts

PtCo nanoalloys (NAs) deposited on carbon black are emerging as robust electrocatalysts for addressing the sluggish kinetic issue of oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). However, developing a simple and low-cost method to synthesize PtCo/C with excellent performance is still a great challenge. In this work, a one-pot method was used to successfully obtain the PtCo NAs on commercial carbon supports of acetylene black and Ketjenblack ECP600JD, respectively. Compared with those grown on Ketjenblack ECP600JD, the PtCo NAs grown on acetylene black exhibited higher electrochemical surface area (ECSA) and mass activity (MA), which may be attributed to the different particle sizes of PtCo NAs, distinct hydrophilicity, electroconductivity and charge distribution between the carbon supports and PtCo NAs. Our study provides valuable insights into the optimal design of carbon-supported ORR electrocatalysts with exceptional activity and durability.