Electrochemical Dealloying-Assisted Surface-Engineered Pd-Based Bifunctional Electrocatalyst for Formic Acid...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Developing efficient electrocatalysts is crucial for advancing energy conversion devices like fuel cells.
• Platinum-based catalysts are effective but costly, driving research into non-precious metal alternatives.
• Bifunctional electrocatalysts that can perform both fuel oxidation and oxygen reduction are highly desirable.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize a novel, non-platinum trimetallic alloy nanoelectrocatalyst.
• To engineer the catalyst's surface for enhanced bifunctional activity.
• To investigate the relationship between elemental composition, lattice strain, and electrocatalytic performance.

Main Methods:

• Facile room-temperature synthesis via thermodynamically favorable transmetallation reaction.
• Surface engineering through electrochemical dealloying.
• Characterization of trimetallic Co_xCu_yPd_z catalysts with controlled composition and strain.

Main Results:

• The synthesized Co_xCu_yPd_z nanoelectrocatalyst exhibits excellent bifunctional activity for formic acid oxidation reaction (FAOR) and oxygen reduction reaction (ORR).
• Elemental composition and lattice strain were identified as key factors controlling electrocatalytic performance.
• The engineered alloy (Co_0.02Cu_13.8Pd_86.18) demonstrated high durability and superior mass-specific activities (1.50 A/mg_Pd for FAOR, 0.202 A/mg_Pd for ORR) compared to binary alloys and pure Pd.

Conclusions:

• Room-temperature synthesis coupled with electrochemical dealloying offers an effective route for creating advanced bifunctional electrocatalysts.
• Surface-engineered trimetallic alloys show significant potential as cost-effective alternatives to platinum in energy conversion applications.
• Controlling elemental composition and lattice strain is vital for optimizing electrocatalyst performance for both FAOR and ORR.