Researchers Develop More Reactive Form of Platinum That Could Result in Less Expensive, More Efficient Fuel Cells

. We combine synthesis, measurements and an understanding of strain from theory to generate a reactivity–strain relationship that provides guidelines for tuning electrocatalytic activity.

—Strasser et al.

The next step for the researchers will be to use the SSRL beam to get a closer look at the reactions between oxygen and platinum, and to determine what can be done to make the process even more efficient. The ultimate goal is to create a potential replacement not only for gasoline engines but also for the batteries found in small electronic devices.

The majority of this research is supported by the US Department of Energy Office of Science through its programs at the Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource and the Stanford Institute for Materials and Energy Sciences at SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory and Stanford University. Collaborating institutions also include Argonne National Laboratory, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Technical University Berlin and the University of Houston.

Resources

• Peter Strasser, Shirlaine Koh, Toyli Anniyev, Jeff Greeley, Karren More, Chengfei Yu, Zengcai Liu, Sarp Kaya, Dennis Nordlund, Hirohito Ogasawara, Michael F. Toney, & Anders Nilsson (2010) Lattice-strain control of the activity in dealloyed core–shell fuel cell catalysts. Nature Chemistry doi: 10.1038/nchem.623