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Updated: May 31, 2026
Synthesis and Performance Characterizations of Transition Metal Single Atom Catalyst for Electrochemical CO2 Reduction
Published on: April 10, 2018
Correlation between atomic coordination structure and enhanced electrocatalytic activity for trimetallic alloy
Bridgid N Wanjala1, Bin Fang, Jin Luo
1Department of Chemistry, State University of New York at Binghamton, Binghamton, New York 13902, United States.
Nanoengineered PtNiFe/C catalysts show temperature-dependent electrocatalytic performance for oxygen reduction reaction. Higher temperatures enhance specific activity via improved alloying, despite reduced platinum surface concentration.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Electrochemistry
- Catalysis
Background:
- Fuel cells rely on efficient electrocatalysts for reactions like oxygen reduction.
- Understanding the atomic-scale structure-activity relationship is crucial for designing advanced catalysts.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the correlation between atomic structure and electrocatalytic performance of PtNiFe/C catalysts treated at various temperatures.
- To provide fundamental insights into alloying and interaction structures influencing fuel cell reactions.
Main Methods:
- Rotating disk electrode (RDE) and proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) tests for activity measurements.
- Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) analyses for structural characterization.
Main Results:
- Mass activity decreased with increasing temperature, while specific activity increased.
- XAFS revealed enhanced heteroatomic coordination and alloying at higher temperatures.
- XPS showed reduced surface Pt concentration at high temperatures, indicating a trade-off between surface enrichment and alloying.
Conclusions:
- Higher mass activity at lower temperatures is attributed to Pt surface enrichment.
- Higher specific activity at elevated temperatures results from enhanced Pt-alloying surface sites.
- Findings offer new insights into designing highly active alloy electrocatalysts by controlling atomic-scale alloying and lattice structures.
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