Pt&Fe3N&Fe@NC with ultra-low Pt for oxygen reduction reaction

Pt-based catalysts are widely used in oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), but the high cost and low durability of Pt limit their large-scale application. Therefore, reducing Pt loading and ensuring good catalytic performance is a challenging task. In this paper, Pt&Fe3N&Fe@NC with ultra-low Pt (similar to 2 wt%), where ultra-fine Pt, Fe3N and Fe nanoparticles are jointly anchored on N-doped carbon, is synthesized by a simple one-step pyrolysis method. The Pt&Fe3N&Fe@NC shows excellent ORR electrocatalytic performance in alkaline electrolyte with the oxygen reduction peak potential and half-wave potential of 0.88 V and 0.85 V, respectively. Fe species play a dual role in Pt&Fe3N&Fe@NC: Fe is an electron donor to alter the electronic structure of Pt, thereby reducing the adsorption energy of oxygen species; Fe3N provides abundant Fe-Nx active sites, which improves the catalytic efficiency of ORR. This work provides a novel approach to improve the ORR catalytic performance of ultra-low Pt catalysts.