Batch synthesis of high activity and durability carbon supported platinum catalysts for oxygen reduction reaction using a new facile continuous microwave pipeline technology.

[Display omitted] • Mass production of high activity and durability of Pt/C catalysts with microwave pipeline technology. • Retention rate of ORR catalytic activity of Pt 50 /CB acid -1200 catalyst reaches 82% after 30,000 cycles attenuation. • Power density of cell performance can reach 1.4 W-cm−2 and Pt content can reach 0.286 g Pt -kW−1. Traditional synthesis methodologies for fuel cell catalyst production involve long reactions and uncontrollable reaction processes. Synthesis methods for the production of catalysts typically have difficulties to achieve catalysts materials with consistency, high activity, and durability. In this study, a fast, simple, and suitable continuous pipeline microwave method for catalyst mass production was developed, with the carbon carrier being treated at different temperatures simultaneously. The method herein developed resulted in carbon-supported platinum (Pt) catalysts with high activity and high durability. In addition, the half-wave potential of the catalyst exceeded 0.9 V, the electrochemical active surface area reached 85.7 m2-g Pt −1, and the mass specific activity reached 171.1 mA-mg−1. Remarkably, after 30,000 cycles of Pt attenuation tests and 30,000 cycles of carbon carrier attenuation tests, the retention rate of the annealed carbon carrier catalyst reached 80 %. As a membrane electrode, the catalyst generated a single cell maximum power density of 1.4 W-cm−2, and the Pt content reached 0.286 g Pt -kW−1. The work provides an effective and practical method for the mass production of high-performance and high-durability catalysts, which guiding significance for mass production of catalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]