A review on amorphous noble-metal-based electrocatalysts for fuel cells : synthesis, characterization, performance, and future perspective

• Main Authors: Phan, Quoc Tuan, Poon, Kee Chun, Sato, Hirotaka
• Other Authors: School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: 2021
• Subjects: Science::Chemistry::Inorganic chemistry::Metals; Electrocatalysts; Amorphous
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/10356/148694
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

An urgent need for cleaner energy alternatives has driven the research of fuel cells, and consequently, electrocatalysts. Noble metals such as Pt and Pd are well known as the most suitable catalysts for fuel cell reactions. However, because of their high costs, much effort has been invested to improve their efficiency. Amorphous noble metal nanoparticles are promising electrocatalysts because of their abundant uncoordinated active sites that result from their long-range disordered lattice. Researches on amorphous Pt- and Pd-based catalysts have progressed well with several different synthesis routes. This review aims to systematically study the differences, advantages, and disadvantages of these methods and the resulting characteristics, performance in fuel cell applications, and future prospects of the amorphous Pt- and Pd-based catalysts.