The Key Laboratory of Fuel Cell Technology of Guangdong Province, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou
Traditional Pt/C carbon catalysts, due to the fact that only the Pt atoms in the surface layer of the nanoparticles participate in the electrocatalytic reaction, while most of the Pt in the inner layer of the particles have not been effectively utilized, give rise to the cost of the fuel cell and hinder its commercialization application in large-scale. The low-platinum core-shell catalyst (LPCSC) is a new type of highly active catalyst which employs the nanoparticles of other low price noble metal, transition metal, alloy and conductive compound as the core, where mono layer or several atomic layers of platinum shell deposited on. The LPCSC, which can sharply lower the usage of platinum on fuel cell and thus lower its cost, is considered as the hope for large-scale application of fuel cell. Research about LPCSC has become one of the hottest topics in the field of fuel cell. This review aims to introduce recent advances on LPCSC with highly electrocatalytic activity. We systematically reviewed the latest advances in the preparation methods, and the developments of new type LPCSCs with low price noble metal, alloy and conductive compound as the core, respectively, as well as the investigations on the interaction between the different core and platinum shell. Furthermore, we summarized the affecting factors on the electrocatalytic activity for LPCSC, and prospected the future development and application of the catalysts.