Platinum group metal (PGM)-free electrocatalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction at the polymer electrolyte fuel cell cathode have shown substantial improvements in activity—especially those derived from transition metals, nitrogen and carbon. However, their stability and durability remain insufficient. A key to enabling future improvements and performance comparisons lies in the development of test protocols that are relevant to the operating conditions of the fuel cell cathode, can be completed within a reasonable time and are ubiquitously adopted. Here we propose and validate such protocols, designed with special attention to typical catalyst degradation mechanisms of PGM-free catalysts. The results of the cross-laboratory validation study using two different catalysts attest to the strength and feasibility of the proposed approach. We hope that the information provided here can serve as a broad and effective platform for assessing the performance and durability of PGM-free catalysts for polymer electrolyte fuel cells.

用于聚合物电解质燃料电池阴极氧还原反应的不含铂族金属 (PGM) 的电催化剂已显示出活性的显着提高，尤其是那些源自过渡金属、氮和碳的电催化剂。然而，它们的稳定性和耐久性仍然不足。实现未来改进和性能比较的关键在于开发与燃料电池阴极运行条件相关的测试协议，该协议可以在合理的时间内完成并被普遍采用。在这里，我们提出并验证了此类协议，特别关注无 PGM 催化剂的典型催化剂降解机制。使用两种不同催化剂的跨实验室验证研究的结果证明了所提出方法的强度和可行性。