Biaxially strained PtPb/Pt core/shell nanoplate boosts oxygen reduction catalysis

An activity lift for platinum Platinum is an excellent but expensive catalyst for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), which is critical for fuel cells. Alloying platinum with other metals can create shells of platinum on cores of less expensive metals, which increases its surface exposure, and compressive strain in the layer can also boost its activity (see the Perspective by Stephens et al. ). Bu et al. produced nanoplates—platinum-lead cores...