Dense Platinum Nanoparticles Confined in Mn-N-C Nanocages for Robust Heavy-Duty PEMFCs

Authors

• Lei Zhao, School of Materials and Energy, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, P.R. China; School of Materials and Environmental Engineering, Chengdu Technological University, Chengdu 611730, P.R. China
• Zhen-Min Cao, Hydrogen Energy R&D Center, SINOTECH Company Limited, Chengdu 611731, P.R. China
• Jia-Yu Zuo, School of Materials and Energy, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, P.R. China
• Ming-Liang Yang, School of Materials and Energy, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, P.R. China
• Hong-Yan Qiao, Hydrogen Energy R&D Center, SINOTECH Company Limited, Chengdu 611731, P.R. China
• Jun-Song Chen, School of Materials and Energy, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, P.R. China
• Rui Wu, School of Materials and Energy, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, P.R. ChinaFollow

Corresponding Author

Rui Wu ([email protected])

Abstract

High-loading Pt cathodes are essential for heavy-duty proton exchange membrane fuel cells but suffer from a critical tradeoff between ionomer sulfonate poisoning and nanoparticle instability. Herein, we report a spatial confinement strategy to encapsulate dense Pt nanoparticles (~51.8 wt%) within Mn/N-co-doped mesoporous carbon nanocages (denoted as Pt-MnNC). This architecture excludes bulky ionomers to create an ionomer-shielded environment against sulfonate poisoning, while Mn-N_x-mediated strong metal-support interactions anchor the Pt nanoparticles to prevent agglomeration and further boost durability. In the 5 × 5 cm² membrane electrode assembly tests, the Pt-MnNC catalyst delivers an exceptional power density of 1.26 W·cm^–2 at 2.0 A·cm^–2 under high-humidity condition. Notably, it exhibits superior durability with only a 20.8% mass activity loss after 30,000 cycles, significantly outperforming commercial Pt/C, which suffers a 61.6% loss. This work provides a robust pathway to decouple ionomer poisoning from catalyst loading, advancing the development of high-power, durable heavy-duty fuel cells.

Graphical Abstract

Keywords

Proton exchange membrane fuel cell, Mesoporous carbon nanocage, Sulfonate poisoning, High-loading

DOI Link

https://doi.org/10.61558/2993-074X.3618

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Publication Date

2026-09-28

Online Available Date

2026-06-11

Revised Date

2026-05-23

Received Date

2026-03-24

Recommended Citation

Lei Zhao, Zhen-Min Cao, Jia-Yu Zuo, Ming-Liang Yang, Hong-Yan Qiao, Jun-Song Chen, Rui Wu. Dense Platinum Nanoparticles Confined in Mn-N-C Nanocages for Robust Heavy-Duty PEMFCs[J]. Journal of Electrochemistry, 2026, 32(9): 2603242.
DOI: 10.61558/2993-074X.3618
Available at: https://jelectrochem.xmu.edu.cn/journal/vol32/iss9/1