Rapid electrosynthesis of low-loaded platinum nanosheet catalysts for high-performance hydrogen oxidation reactions

The development of fuel cells is urgently needed, leading to increasing demand for electrodes with low catalyst loading, high utilization, and straightforward fabrication. In this work, we successfully designed and synthesized Pt nanosheet electrocatalysts grown in situ on treated carbon cloth (Pt/CC) using a simple and rapid electrodeposition technique. At a pulse peak current density of 300 mA cm-2, the catalyst exhibited impressive Pt surface coverage uniformity, ultralow Pt loading, and an ultrathin nanosheet structure, providing a large number of active sites for electrochemical reactions. With a Pt loading of only 0.02 mg cm-2, Pt/CC-300 provides an 11-fold improvement in hydrogen oxidation reaction (HOR) performance over commercial Pt/C catalysts. The electrode can be directly employed as an anode electrode without any additives or secondary treatment. This not only simplifies the production process but also paves the way for more economical and efficient fuel cell technology.