Low-Noble-Metal-Loading Hybrid Catalytic System for Oxygen Reduction Utilizing Reduced-Graphene-Oxide-Supported-Platinum Aligned with Carbon-Nanotube-Supported Iridium

Hybrid systems composed of the reduced graphene oxide-supported platinum and multiwall carbon nanotubes-supported iridium (both noble metals utilized at low loadings on the level of 15 and < 5 microg cm-2, respectively) have been considered as catalytic materials for the reduction of oxygen in acid media (0.5 mol dm-3 H2SO4). The electrocatalytic activity toward reduction of oxygen and formation of hydrogen peroxide intermediate have been tested using rotating ring-disk electrode voltammetric experiments. The efficiency of the proposed catalytic systems has also been addressed by performing galvanodynamic measurements with gas diffusion electrode half-cell at 80 {\deg}C. The role of carbon nanotubes is to improve charge distribution at the electrocatalytic interface and facilitate the transport of oxygen and electrolyte in the catalytic systems by lowering the extent of reduced graphene oxide restacking during solvent evaporation. The diagnostic electrochemical experiments reveal that at iridium-containing systems not only higher disk currents, but also much smaller ring currents have been produced (compared to reduced graphene oxide-supported platinum and its composite with bare carbon nanotubes), clearly implying formation of lower amounts of the undesirable hydrogen peroxide intermediate. The enhancement effect coming from the addition of traces of iridium (supported onto carbon nanotubes) to Pt, utilized at low loading, may originate from the high ability of Ir to induce decomposition of the undesirable hydrogen peroxide intermediate. There is a competition between activation (due to the presence of small amounts of Ir) and dilution (by carbon nanotubes) of Pt active centers in hybrid systems, therefore special attention is paid to the adjustment of their composition.