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.
• Zhenmin Cao, Hydrogen Energy R&D Center, SINOTECH Company Limited, Chengdu 611731, P. R. China.
• Jiayu Zuo, School of Materials and Energy, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, P. R. China.
• Mingliang Yang, School of Materials and Energy, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, P. R. China.
• Hongyan Qiao, School of Materials and Energy, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, P. R. China.
• Junsong 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. China.Follow

Document Type

Article

Corresponding Author(s)

Rui Wu(ruiwu0904@uestc.edu.cn)

Abstract

High-loading Pt cathodes are essential for heavy-duty proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) but suffer from a critical trade-off 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 5×5 cm² membrane electrode assembly (MEA) tests, the Pt-MnNC catalyst delivers an exceptional peak power density of 1.26 W·cm^-2 at 2.0 A·cm^-2. 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 cells, Mesoporous carbon nanocages, Sulfonate poisoning, High-loading

DOI

10.61558/2993-074X.3618

Online Date

6-11-2026

Recommended Citation

Lei Zhao, Zhenmin Cao, Jiayu Zuo, Mingliang Yang, Hongyan Qiao, Jun Song Chen, Rui Wu. Dense Platinum Nanoparticles Confined in Mn-N-C Nanocages for Robust Heavy-Duty PEMFCs[J]. Journal of Electrochemistry, doi: 10.61558/2993-074X.3618.