Novel electrocatalyst for proton-exchange membrane fuel cells

Highly active and durable low-Pt (platinum) electrocatalysts that can dramatically reduce costly Pt usage in the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) are urgently required for the commercialization of fuel cell vehicles. Cost-effective, Pt-based intermetallic (IMC) catalysts have been regarded as the most promising alternative to boost activity and durability towards ORR; however, the formation of high-loaded Pt-based IMCs usually involves high-temperature annealing, which leads to severe agglomeration and nonuniformity of IMC nanoparticles (NPs), imposing an enormous challenge on efficient synthesis.