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Fe–Pt thin film for oxygen reduction reaction

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Abstract

Thin films of FexPt100−x (0 < x < 80) alloy were prepared via magnetron sputtering deposition and investigated as electrocatalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction, a process that is central to hydrogen fuel cell technology. Room temperature sputtering produced smooth, uniform films of tightly packed nanocrystallites with a disordered face-centred cubic crystal structure. The electrocatalytic performance of the Fe–Pt thin film catalysts was measured using rotating disk electrode technique and compared with state-of-the-art commercial Pt/C catalysts. Maximum area-specific activity for oxygen reduction of 0.87 mA cm−2 at 0.9 V vs. RHE was measured on the Fe46Pt54 film, which was 1.5 times that of pure sputtered Pt (0.57 mA cm−2) and almost twice the value for commercial Pt/C (0.45 mA cm−2) at the same potential.

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Acknowledgements

This research is supported by Science Foundation Ireland Grant Number 12/IP/1692 and the HEA PRTLI4 programme (INSPIRE).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physics, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland

    Cian McKeown & Fernando M. F. Rhen

  2. Bernal Institute, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland

    Cian McKeown & Fernando M. F. Rhen

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  1. Cian McKeown
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  2. Fernando M. F. Rhen
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Correspondence to Fernando M. F. Rhen.

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McKeown, C., Rhen, F.M.F. Fe–Pt thin film for oxygen reduction reaction. J Appl Electrochem 48, 1009–1017 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10800-018-1228-9

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