Researchers at UCLA, with colleagues at UC Irvine, have designed a graphene-nanopocket-encaged platinum cobalt (PtCo@Gnp) nanocatalyst for fuel cells with good electrochemical accessibility and exceptional durability under a demanding ultralow PGM loading (0.070 mgPGM cm–2) due to the non-contacting enclosure of graphene nanopockets.
The PtCo@Gnp delivers a state-of-the-art mass activity of 1.21 A mgPGM–1, a rated power of 13.2 W mgPGM–1 and a mass activity retention of 73% after an accelerated durability test. With the greatly improved rated power and durability, the researchers project a 6.8 gPGM loading for a 90 kW PEMFC vehicle; the loading approaches that used in a typical catalytic converter.
A paper on their work appears in the journal Nature Nanotechnology.
The graphene-wrapped alloy yielded 75 times more catalytic activity 65% more power about 20% more…