http://english.cas.cn/newsroom/research_news/chem/202504/t20250407_909534.shtml

https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S2590238525001390

Methanol has long been seen as a promising candidate for fuel cells. However, a major challenge in methanol oxidation is the rapid deactivation of catalysts caused by poisoning species such as CO formed during the reaction.

Aresearch team led by Prof. ZHANG Tierui from the CAS Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry has developed a new catalyst that significantly enhances the efficiency and durability of methanol oxidation reactions. Composed of ultrafine platinum-based high-entropy alloy (HEA) octahedra, the catalyst marks a promising advance in DMFC efficiency and resistance to catalytic poisoning.

Electrochemical tests and theoretical calculations indicate that the synergistic effect of multiple metal elements modulates the electronic structure of platinum (Pt). In the methanol oxidation reaction, the senary alloy outperformed both ternary alloys—alloys comprising three metal elements—and commercial platinum-on-carbon (Pt/C) catalysts in terms of activity and resistance to poisoning.