Titanium hydride—a stable support for Pt catalysts in oxygen reduction reaction

A new class of conductive and dimensionally stable surface-modified TiH2 particles prepared by ultra-sonication method is proposed as a non-carbon support for Pt catalysts. Thermal analysis results indicated good thermal stability of these materials at high temperatures in oxygen atmosphere. TiH2 particles are discovered to be stable at potentials higher than 1.5 V in O2-saturated H2SO4 solution. It is also found that the surface-modified TiH2 exhibits a modest electrocatalytic activity toward oxygen reduction reaction. Accelerated durability measurements show that Pt catalysts supported on sonicated TiH2 exhibited superior stability than standard Vulcan XC-72 carbon. High corrosion resistance and thermal stability render better chemical stability and structural integrity to surface-modified TiH2 particles at elevated temperatures.