Low platinum catalyst and method of preparation

1. A method of catalyst preparation:

preparing a transition metal based metal organic framework (MOF);

thermally treating the transition metal MOF at a temperature of 600° C. to 1050° C. for between 30 minutes and 180 minutes converting the transition metal MOF to a transition metal-nitrogen-carbon composite;

removing a portion of the transition metal;

adding a platinum precursor to the transition metal-nitrogen-carbon composite after removal of the portion; and

forming platinum-transition metal bimetallic alloy microcrystallites over the transition metal-nitrogen-carbon composite.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein preparation of the transitional metal MOF comprises: a stoichiometric amount of transition metal salt and multidentate organic ligands.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising adding a second transition metal salt in an amount equivalent to the stoichiometric amount of the multidentate organic ligands, wherein the transitional metal based MOF is a bimetallic MOF.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein preparing the transition metal based MOF further comprises:

preparing a first transition metal based metal organic framework (MOF) from a first transition metal salt;

preparing a second transition metal based metal organic framework (MOF) from a second transition metal salt; and

mixing the transition metal based MOF with the second transition metal MOF;

wherein the transition metal MOF is a bimetallic MOF.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein thermally treating the transition metal is at a temperature of 850° C. to 1050° C. for between 60 minutes and 90 minutes.

6. The method of claim 4 , wherein the molar ratio of the first transition metal salt to the second transition metal salt is from 1:99 to 1:1.

7. The method of claim 4 , wherein during thermal treatment, the first transition metal is converted to a zero valence metal forming the transition metal-nitrogen-carbon composition and the second transition metal is reduced and vaporized.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein thermally treating the transition metal is at a temperature of 600° C. to 950° C. for between 60 minutes and 90 minutes.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the thermal treatment is in an environment selected from an inert environment and reactive environment under nitrogen containing gas.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein preparing the transition metal based MOF comprises a solvothermal reaction with a concentration of metal solution of 0.1 mol/L to 1.0 mol/L.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein removing a portion of the transition metal comprises applying an acid wash with an acid having a concentration in the range of 0.1 molar to 2.0 molar.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein applying the acid wash is at a temperature up to 80° C. for 0.5 hours to 72 hours.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein adding the platinum precursor comprises adding an organometallic salt or inorganic salt at a temperature of 40° C. to 80° C. for 30 minutes to 90 minutes.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein forming platinum-transition metal bimetallic alloy microcrystallites comprises reduction at temperatures of 120° C. to 250° C. under a hydrogen flow.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising coating the composite with added platinum with an alkyl amine prior to reduction.

16. The method of claim 14 , further comprising washing after reduction at the 120° C. to 250° C. for 15 minutes to 120 minutes under a hydrogen flow to remove excess alkyl amine and performing a second thermal treatment at the 600° C. to 800° C. for 15 minutes to 60 minutes.

17. A method of catalyst preparation:

preparing a transition metal based metal organic framework (MOF);

adding a platinum precursor by infiltration to the transition metal MOF;

thermally treating the transition metal at a temperature of 600° C. to 800° C. in a reducing environment for 15 minutes to 60 minutes and converting the transition metal MOF to a transition metal-nitrogen-carbon composite, forming platinum-transition metal bimetallic alloy microcrystallites over a transition metal-nitrogen-carbon composite.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the infiltrated transition metal MOF has a dry platinum weight fraction of 2 wt % to 20 wt %.

19. The method of claim 17 , wherein preparation of the transitional metal MOF comprises: a stoichiometric amount of transition metal salt and multidentate organic ligands.

20. The method of claim 17 , wherein adding the platinum precursor comprises adding an organometallic salt or inorganic salt.