Synergetic N-doped carbon with MoPd alloy for robust oxygen reduction reaction

Synergistic catalysis opens up a new venue to improve the comprehensive application of the catalyst. Herein, a composite catalyst (Mo-Pd@N-C) consisting of the N-doped carbon derived from pyrolysis of spherical polypyrrole and MoPd nanoparticles (NPs) was constructed to emphasize the strong metal-support interaction for robust oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). The enhanced anchoring between the MoPd NPs and the substrate, and the N-species formed on the carbon matrix make the Mo-Pd@N-C deliver excellent performance with a half-wave potential of 0.945 V (vs. reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE)) for ORR, superior than that of commercial Pt/C (0.86 V). More importantly, it shows a negligible half-wave potential decline (< 5 mV) and only similar to 20% of mass activity (MA) attenuation after 30,000 cycles stability test, obviously better than those of Pt/C (similar to 70% of MA attenuation and similar to 30 mV of half-wave potential decline after only 15,000 cycles). This work highlights a novel synergistic method to prolong the life and improve the commercial prospects of the catalysts.