PtFe Alloy Nanoparticles Supported on Polymeric Schiff Base-Derived N-Doped Carbon for Oxygen Reduction Reaction

Developing highly active and stable oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) electrocatalysts is crucial for practical energy devices. This study synthesizes PtFe alloy nanoparticles supported on nitrogen-doped carbon (PtFe–N–C) via a microflower-templated strategy. A zinc-based microflower scaffold directs the in situ growth of a polymeric Schiff base (PSB), which coordinates Fe3+ and Pt precursors. During pyrolysis under nitrogen, the coordinated metals are synergistically reduced to form PtFe–N–C. The resulting catalyst exhibits exceptional ORR performance in acidic media, with a half-wave potential of 0.84 V vs RHE and a mass activity 4.3 times higher than commercial Pt/C. It also demonstrates outstanding durability, with significantly less performance decay after 30,000 cycles. Inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry quantitative analysis reveals that the Pt loading in the catalyst is only 1.15 wt %, which highlights its superior Pt utilization efficiency. This work presents a high-performance ORR electrocatalyst and establishes a design principle for carbon-supported precious metal alloy nanoparticles through rational interface engineering.