Zif-derived PtCu/N-DC dodecahedrons: Synergistic enhancement mechanism of methanol oxidation activity and poisoning resistance under low platinum loading

Preparing low-cost and high-activity methanol oxidation reaction (MOR) electrocatalysts is a key approach for renewable energy technologies. However, due to the high price and instability of platinum-based catalysts, the addition of transition metals to alloy catalysts on the basis of platinum is a prevalent strategy to improve catalytic activity and stability. Herein, we prepared a PtCu alloy catalyst that is highly dispersed on an N-doped carbon dodecahedron (PtCu/N-DC) by a simple pyrolysis method. The experiments demonstrate that the robust interaction between N-doped porous carbon support and PtCu alloy imparts strong stability to the catalyst. At the same time, there is a strong interaction between Cu atom and Pt atom, doping with Cu can adjust its surface electronic configuration of Pt, thereby improving the MOR performance of the catalyst. With a platinum loading of just 10 % compared to the 20 % in commercial Pt/C, PtCu/N-DC exhibits mass activity and specific activity that are 4.1 times and 5.8 times higher, with significant catalytic activity and a high level of resistance to carbon monoxide poisoning. Theoretical analysis indicates that the PtCu/N-DC catalyst exhibits a low energy barrier during the critical steps, which aligns with the enhanced electrocatalytic activity demonstrated in the experimental findings.