Combinatorial screening of PtTiMe ternary alloys for oxygen electroreduction

Abstract

The catalytic oxygen electroreduction properties of PtTiMe (Me = Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Mo, Ni, Pd, Ta, V, W and Zr) ternary alloys were studied using an in-house developed thin film based combinatorial high throughput method. Libraries containing discrete alloy compositions were fabricated by plasma co-sputtering and the resulting alloys were electrochemically screened by the hydrodynamic rotating disk electrode technique. Candidate catalysts were identified by comparing the activity–stability–composition relationships between the platinum titanium alloys and pure platinum standard. Among the PtTiMe alloys studied, PtTiNi, PtTiCu and PtTiV, respectively, displayed the highest catalytic oxygen electroreduction activities with a tenfold, an eightfold and a sixfold enhancement as compared to the pure platinum standard and good chemical stabilities.