Study on durable quaternary PtPdRuCu nanotubes as advanced electrocatalysts for oxygen reduction in fuel cell

Fuel cells offer advantages such as zero emissions, high efficiency and sustainability, and boast promising development prospects. However, their large-scale commercialization is hindered by the sluggish kinetics of the cathodic oxygen reduction reaction and the high cost of platinum-based catalysts. Developing alternative catalysts with low platinum loading, high activity, and superior stability is a key research focus and challenge. In this study, a precise structural engineering strategy is employed, using copper nanowires as a sacrificial template combined with galvanic replacement/reduction and dealloying processes, to successfully construct quaternary PtPdRuCu nanotubes. This unique structure not only significantly enhances platinum atom utilization, but also, through multi-component synergy, effectively optimizes the electronic structure of platinum sites. This electronic modulation weakens the strong adsorption of oxygenated intermediates, thereby breaking the reaction kinetic limitations. Experimental results demonstrate that the catalyst exhibits a remarkable mass activity of 1.11 A/mg_Pt at 0.9 V(vs. RHE), which is 4.27 times that of commercial Pt/C. Furthermore, after 30 000 accelerated durability test cycles, the activity loss is only about 1%, indicating exceptional stability. This work provides a new design concept and a feasible synthesis pathway for developing next-generation high-performance, low-platinum fuel cell catalysts.