A Cathode Material of Fuel Cells: F-Doped γ-Graphyne/PtPd Nanocomposite from Plasma Activation and Gamma Irradiation

γ-Graphyne, a type of carbon material, has become one of the potential candidates for improving fuel cell catalysts, but its large oxygen permeation barrier during the oxygen reduction process hinders the improvement of electrocatalytic performance. In this work, we used plasma fluorination to treat γ-graphyne and combined it with gamma irradiation technology to synthesize F-doped γ-graphyne/PtPd nanoparticle nanocomposite, realizing the first application of γ-graphyne in the field of oxygen reduction catalysis. The as-prepared F-doped γ-graphyne/PtPd catalyst exhibits overall good ORR performance, especially reaching the level of graphdiyne in terms of peak potential, half-wave potential, and current density. Under alkaline conditions, it was comparable to commercial Pt/C and showed more rapid kinetics. Taken together, we found that the high catalytic activity originates from the structural changes that the12-membered ring structure is opened, which is brought about by plasma fluorination treatment and gamma irradiation, which facilitates the diffusion of O2 in the catalytic process, adsorption, and electron transfer of O2 on the surface of the catalyst. The treated γ-graphyne can be a carbon substrate material with high potential in the field of oxygen reduction catalysis.