Synthesis of Nitrogen-Doped Platinum–Neodymium Nanoalloy Catalyst by Liquid-Phase Reduction for Oxygen Reduction Reaction

Proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) have attracted significant research interest due to their ability to generate only water and energy. PEMFCs operate based on the principle of redox reactions, which require a catalyst for the individual half-reactions. However, the commonly used platinum (Pt)-based catalysts are expensive, and their performance needs enhancement. In this study, an effective strategy is presented for preparing Pt–rare earth nanoalloy catalysts, achieving improvements in catalytic performance while reducing costs. Additionally, through urea modification, a novel carbon carrier (XC-72) is successfully developed, which is widely utilized as a catalyst support in fuel cells. The Pt–Nd@HCN-400 catalyst is synthesized by combining the newly developed carrier with the Pt–Nd alloy. Under standard fuel cell operating conditions, this catalyst exhibited a 5% increase in durability compared to its unmodified counterpart. This study offers a promising approach for enhancing the durability of PEMFC catalysts.