On the viability of chitosan-derived mesoporous carbons as supports for PtCu electrocatalysts in PEMFC

Chitosan is an abundant and non-toxic natural polysaccharide rich in nitrogen, which used here to obtain N-doped mesoporous carbons (NMCs) as supports for Pt-saving PtCu alloy elecrocatalysts, can be of interest low-temperature fuels cells. NMCs with different textural properties were synthesized from cheap silica templates. They presented relative dominance disordered graphitic lattice comparable amounts pyrrolic pyridinic N, specific BET surface areas (715–1040 m2 g−1) mesopore (1.2–2.4 cm3 micropore volumes (0.1–0.6 g−1). nanoparticles deposited by Cu electroless deposition further galvanic exchange Pt, overall Pt loadings about 20 wt.%. Pt-rich crystallites contracted fcc lattices sizes 3.1–4.7 nm formed. The PtCu/NMCs catalysts better current densities the oxygen reduction CO tolerance methanol oxidation reaction than those commercial Pt/C PtCu/CMK-3. PtCu/NMC prepared H2SO4–activated NMC was most active catalyst. carbonaceous materials appeared determine structure nanoparticles.