Selective catalysts for the hydrogen oxidation and oxygen reduction reactions by patterning of platinum with calix[4]arene molecules

The design of new catalysts for polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells must be guided by two equally important fundamental principles: optimization of their catalytic behaviour as well as the long-term stability of the metal catalysts and supports in hostile electrochemical environments(1,2). The methods used to improve catalytic activity are diverse(3-8), ranging from the alloying(3,4) and de-alloying(5) of platinum to the synthesis of platinum core-shell catalysts(6). However, methods to improve the stability of the carbon supports and catalyst nanoparticles are limited(9,10), especially during shutdown (when hydrogen is purged from the anode by air) and startup (when air is purged from the anode by hydrogen) conditions when the cathode potential can be pushed up to 1.5V (ref. 11). Under the latter conditions, stability of the cathode materials is strongly affected (carbon oxidation reaction) by the undesired oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) on the anode side. This emphasizes the importance of designing selective anode catalysts that can efficiently suppress the ORR while fully preserving the Pt-like activity for the hydrogen oxidation reaction. Here, we demonstrate that chemically modified platinum with a self-assembled monolayer of calix[4] arene molecules meets this challenging requirement.