Summary
Fuel-cell catalysts made of platinum nanoparticles on carbon supports lose performance over time as the carbon corrodes and the Pt detaches during voltage cycling. This work couples two techniques — electrospinning and atomic layer deposition (ALD) — to build a more durable catalyst. Electrically conducting carbon nanofibres were produced by electrospinning and loaded with Pt nanoparticles, then selectively decorated with a thin protective layer of tin dioxide (SnO₂) by ALD deposited directly onto the Pt-decorated fibres. Cyclic voltammetry showed the SnO₂ coating did not reduce the platinum’s electrochemically active surface area or its oxygen-reduction activity, yet it considerably improved catalyst durability during accelerated voltage cycling. Combining an up-scalable electrospun 1D carbon support with a stabilising oxide overlayer offers a promising route to longer-lasting fuel-cell electrocatalysts.