NITRIDED TERNARY PLATINUM (Pt) CONTAINING NANOPARTICLE CATALYST FOR FUEL CELLS

Disclosed are catalysts having high activity, stability, and durability, methods for making, and fuel cells comprising the catalysts. The catalysts include nitrided ternary platinum (Pt) containing nanoparticles comprising platinum (Pt), nickel (Ni), and cobalt (Co) having an intermetallic L1structure (IM-PtNiCON) loaded on a mesoporous carbon support comprising a predetermined hierarchical pore distribution architecture (MPC-HPDA). The nitrided ternary platinum (Pt) containing nanoparticles have an average particle diameter between about 3.0 nm and about 8.0 nm. The predetermined hierarchical pore distribution architecture of the mesoporous carbon support comprises a plurality of pores with a majority percentage of the plurality of pores having an average pore diameter between about 3.0 nm to about 8.0 nm, and at least a portion of the nitrided ternary platinum (Pt) containing nanoparticles is disposed within the majority percentage of the plurality of pores having an average diameter between about 3.0 nm to about 8.0 nm.