Fe3C-mediated electron transfer regulates metal-support interaction in Pt-based catalyst: boosting electro-oxidation activity and CO tolerance

Fe-modified nitrogen-doped carbon fibers (Fe X @NCNF) were fabricated by combining electrospinning with post-calcination. Herein, the metal-support interaction (MSI) between Pt and Fe X @NCNF was systematically investigated. The results demonstrated that tuning Fe content significantly altered the microstructure of the carbon support and the composition of its surface species, particularly the proportion of Fe 3 C among the iron species. This variation in turn modulated the MSI, thereby regulating the electronic structure of Pt. Electron transfer occurred from Fe 3 C to Pt, and Pt/Fe X @NCNF catalyst with a higher Fe 3 C content exhibited a lower Pt4f 7/2 (0) binding energy (B.E.) and a higher proportion of metallic Pt(0). Fe-modified Pt catalyst with electron-enriched Pt surfaces exhibited superior activity toward both glycerol and formic acid electro-oxidation reactions, along with significantly enhanced tolerance to CO poisoning. This work provides an effective strategy for regulating catalyst structure and optimizing MSI to boost electrocatalytic efficiency, offering valuable insights for the design of high-performance fuel cell catalysts.