Fe–N–C Support‐Enhanced Pt Catalyst for High‐Performance Oxygen Reduction

Platinum‐based catalysts are highly effective for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), but their prohibitive cost and insufficient activity impede large‐scale commercialization. Herein, we report a Pt@Fe‐NC electrocatalyst synthesized by depositing uniform platinum nanoparticles onto an iron–nitrogen–carbon (Fe–NC) support via an ethylene glycol reduction method. The Fe–NC support, prepared from an iron (II)‐1,10‐phenanthroline complex precursor to ensure high iron utilization, modulates the electronic structure of the Pt nanoparticles, thereby enhancing both catalytic activity and stability. The optimized Pt@Fe‐NC catalyst (13.54 wt% Pt) exhibits exceptional ORR performance in acidic media, with a half‐wave potential of 0.852 V and notable stability. When integrated into a zinc‐air battery, the catalyst delivered a high specific capacity of 652.66 mAh g Zn −1 . Furthermore, a proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) employing this catalyst achieved a high open‐circuit voltage (OCV) of 0.964 V and a peak power density of 1.722 W cm −2 , outperforming most previously reported Pt‐based catalysts. This study highlights a synergistic strategy between Pt nanoparticles and metal‐nitrogen‐carbon (M–N–C) supports to boost ORR performance, presenting a viable path toward advanced, cost‐effective catalysts for energy conversion devices like PEMFCs and zinc‐air batteries.