The Role of Lone-Pair Electrons in Pt-N Interactions for the Oxygen Reduction Reaction in Polymer Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells

Kahyun Ham; Dongyoon Shin; Jaeyoung Lee

doi:10.1002/cssc.202000527

The Role of Lone-Pair Electrons in Pt-N Interactions for the Oxygen Reduction Reaction in Polymer Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells

ChemSusChem. 2020 Apr 7;13(7):1660. doi: 10.1002/cssc.202000527.

Authors

Kahyun Ham¹, Dongyoon Shin², Jaeyoung Lee^{1

3}

Affiliations

¹ School of Earth Sciences and Environmental Engineering, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST), 123 Cheomdangwagi-Ro, Gwangju, 61005, South Korea.
² Heterogeneous Reactions, Max-Planck Institute für Chemische Energiekonversion, 34-36 Stiftstrasse, Mülheim an der Ruhr, 45470, Germany.
³ Ertl Center for Electrochemistry and Catalysis, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST), 123 Cheomdangwagi-Ro, Gwangju, 61005, South Korea.

PMID: 32250560
DOI: 10.1002/cssc.202000527

Abstract

Invited for this month's cover is the group of Jaeyoung Lee at the Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST). The cover image shows how the lone-pair electrons on N atoms could play a role in both uniform nucleation of Pt nanoparticles and facile oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). Strong Pt-N interaction based on π-backdonation improves not only the activity of the ORR but also the durability in the polymer exchange membrane fuel cells. The Full Paper itself is available at 10.1002/cssc.201903403.