Low Pt-Loaded Mesoporous Sodium Germanate as a High-Performance Electrocatalyst for the Oxygen Reduction Reaction

Although Pt/C catalysts show relatively high activities for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and great potential for use in polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells, the large amount of Pt required and the poor stability of Pt/C-based catalysts remain big challenges. Herein, mesoporous Na₄Ge₉O₂₀ micro-crystals have been successfully synthesized to serve as a new kind of electrocatalyst support owing to its special structural characteristics and high structural stability. After loading a low amount of Pt (5 wt %) nanoparticles of 2–5 nm in diameter, the obtained mesoporous Pt/Na₄Ge₉O₂₀ composite shows not only high electrocatalytic activity for ORR in both acidic and alkaline electrolyte media, which are comparable to those of conventional 20 wt % Pt/C, but also remarkably enhanced Pt mass-specified ORR current density and durability. Synergetic catalytic effects between loaded Pt and the support for the ORR activity has been proposed.