Carbon‐Supported Divacancy‐Anchored Platinum Single‐Atom Electrocatalysts with Superhigh Pt Utilization for the Oxygen Reduction Reaction

Abstract

Maximizing the platinum utilization in electrocatalysts toward oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) is very desirable for large-scale sustainable application of Pt in energy systems. A cost-effective carbon-supported carbon-defect-anchored platinum single-atom electrocatalysts (Pt₁ /C) with remarkable ORR performance is reported. An acidic H₂ /O₂ single cell with Pt₁ /C as cathode delivers a maximum power density of 520 mW cm^-2 at 80 °C, corresponding to a superhigh platinum utilization of 0.09 g_Pt kW^-1 . Further physical characterization and density functional theory computations reveal that single Pt atoms anchored stably by four carbon atoms in carbon divacancies (Pt-C₄ ) are the main active centers for the observed high ORR performance.