One of the main bottle neck for the complete introduction of the fuel cells technology in the market, is their dependency on precious metals as catalyst. Focusing on the electrochemical reactions involved, the most sluggish is the Oxygen Reduction Reaction (ORR). Many techniques and research were done to reach the high optimization for the amount of the precious metal used, keeping the same activity. In the other hand, many investigations were carried on to find non-precious metal catalyst with the same performance for the different reactions (ORR, HER, OER and HOR)[1]. One of those candidates are the metal phosphides [2], however, this catalysts nowadays only are active for ORR, HER, OER and they have very poor activity related to HOR [3]. Here we present the work done related to the really simple synthesis of CoP catalyst with a very interesting ORR catalytic behaviour and peroxide generation under acid and alkaline conditions. Some TEM characterization was done to understand the changes in the morphology before and after the ORR reaction. Another application of these materials is to use thezzm as support, due to their chemical resistance and low cost. As well, depositing platinum on them gives the possibility to obtain an interesting synergistically effect improving the activity with lower loadings of Pt deposited [4].

[1] M. S. Faber and S. Jin, “Earth-abundant inorganic electrocatalysts and their nanostructures for energy conversion applications,” Energy Environ. Sci., vol. 7, no. 11, pp. 3519–3542, Oct. 2014.

[2] A.-M. Alexander et al., “Alternative catalytic materials: carbides, nitrides, phosphides and amorphous boron alloys,” Chem. Soc. Rev., vol. 39, no. 11, p. 4388, Oct. 2010.

[3] R. Prins and M. E. Bussell, “Metal Phosphides: Preparation, Characterization and Catalytic Reactivity,” Catal. Letters, vol. 142, no. 12, pp. 1413–1436, Dec. 2012.

[4] H.-Y. Park et al., “Pd nanocrystals on WC as a synergistic electrocatalyst for hydrogen oxidation reactions.,” Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., vol. 15, no. 6, pp. 2125–30, 2013.