Melamine-induced molecular bridge facilitates the synthesis of highly strained ordered Pt3Co catalysts for fuel cells

Pt 3 Co catalysts represent promising substitutes for commercial Pt/C catalysts for proton exchange membrane fuel cells, yet their scalable deployment is restricted by inefficient synthesis, insufficient activity and stability. Herein, a functional molecular layer was in-situ constructed on platinum surfaces with the melamine assistance. Melamine acted as a molecular bridge to enrich Co on Pt via hydrogen-bonding interactions and facilitate Pt Co charge transfer. Subsequent medium–low temperature heat treatment yielded a highly ordered Pt 3 Co with strong compressive strain. The catalyst delivers a half-wave potential (E 1/2 ) of 0.928 V in acidic electrolyte. It exhibits merely 12 mV decay in E 1/2 and 1.5% loss of the electrochemical active surface area after durability test. At low Pt loading, it achieves high power densities of 2.94 W cm −2 for H 2 –O 2 fuel cells and 1.11 W cm −2 for H 2 –Air fuel cells, respectively. Compressive strain weakens the adsorption of intermediate and product H 2 O and accelerates reaction kinetics. Meanwhile, the ordered intermetallic structure and robust Pt Co interaction enhance structural stability. This strategy enables the mild and scalable fabrication of high performance ordered Pt 3 Co catalysts. The melamine molecular layer anchored on the platinum surface facilitates cobalt enrichment and promotes interfacial electron transfer, enabling the formation of a highly strained, ordered Pt 3 Co intermetallic catalyst. This structural evolution significantly accelerates the reaction kinetics while concurrently enhancing catalytic stability. Download: Download high-res image (132KB) Download: Download full-size image