Comparison of FePt and Pt nanostructures for oxygen reduction reaction in basic medium

FePt nanoparticles (NPs) and colloidal nanoparticle clusters (CNCs) have been synthesized by the reduction of platinum acetylacetonate (Pt(acac)) combined with thermal decomposition of iron pentacarbonyl (Fe(CO)) and compared to pure Pt NPs and CNCs for the catalytic activity of the oxygen reduction (ORR). The formation of NPs and CNCs has been carried out controlling injection temperature of the precursors and the surfactants during the synthesis. The size of the NPs and the CNCs formed is around 3 and 38 nm, respectively. High electrocatalytic performance of the FePt CNCs in comparison with that of nanoparticles and nanocluster of platinum has been obtained for the reduction reaction (ORR) in basic medium. The ORR is carried out by a four-electron charge transfer. The increase in the activity of the CNC structures formed by FePt nanoparticles can be attributed to the alloy formation that produces surface and electronic changes of the Pt atoms and to the structure of the CNCs obtained.