This study demonstrates a platinum and cobalt alloy (PtCo) supported by natto-like N-doped carbon spheres (n-NCS), denoted as PtCo/n-NCS, showing excellent catalytic activity and high durability for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). PtCo/n-NCS demonstrate the electron-transfer number of 3.98 and only the decay of 53 mV on half-wave potential after 30 000 cycles. PtCo/n-NCS contribute a high Pt mass activity of 823.01 mA mg Pt −1 at 0.80 V, compared to Pt/C and PtCo/C with 105.46 and 235.20 mA mg Pt −1 , respectively. n-NCS provide a large surface area to increase NCS for the utilization of PtCo catalysts and a large amount of the graphitic-N structures to enhance the four-electron transfer. Therefore, PtCo/n-NCS have a superior ORR activity, making them the promising catalysts for the ORR.

This study synthesizes the nickel−cobalt supported by the metal−organic framework CPO-27 (coordination polymer of Oslo, Ni−Co-CPO-27) and g-C 3 N 4 , showing outstanding catalytic activity and stability for oxygen reduction reaction in alkaline media, notated by NiCo 2 -CPO-27/PCN-HT (PCN-HT: heat-treated polymeric carbon nitrite). The half-wave potential of NiCo 2 -CPO-27/PCN-HT is 0.82 V, and the electron transfer number is around 3.99, which is close to the activity of Pt/C. The stability test of NiCo 2 -CPO-27/PCN-HT demonstrates only 0.01 V decade of the halfwave potential after 30,000 cycles. The synergistic effects of Ni−Co metals, pyridinic-N species, and graphitic-N species contribute to the outstanding performance of NiCo 2 -CPO-27/PCN-HT. The anion exchange membrane fuel cell (AEMFC) using NiCo 2 -CPO-27/PCN-HT in the cathode shows excellent performance with a maximum power density of 224.4 mW cm −2 , 20% higher than AEMFC using the Pt/C under the same condition.