The Pt catalyzed hydrogen oxidation reaction (HOR) for alkaline polymer electrolyte fuel cells (APEFCs) has been one of the focus subjects in current fuel cell R&D. Previous studies show that Pt catalyst is inferior for HOR in alkaline solutions, and alloying with Ru is an effective promotion strategy. APEFCs with Pt‐Ru anodes have provided a performance benchmark over 1 W/cm2 at 60oC. Here we report a transformational finding that the Pt anode can actually be as good as the Pt‐Ru anode for APEFCs operated at elevated conditions. At 80oC with appropriate gas backpressure, the cell with a Pt anode can exhibit a peak power density of ca. 1.9 W/cm2, very close to that with a Pt‐Ru anode. Even reducing the anode Pt loading to 0.1 mg/cm2, over 1.5 W/cm2 can still be achieved at 80oC. This finding alters the previous understanding about the Pt catalyzed HOR in alkaline media, and casts a new light on the development of practical and high‐power APFEC technology.
