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Simple Methods for the Preparation of Non-noble Metal Bulk-electrodes for Electrocatalytic Applications
Published on: June 21, 2017
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Building Durable Multimetallic Electrocatalysts from Intermetallic Seeds
Sandra L A Bueno1, Hannah M Ashberry1, Ibrahim Shafei1
1Department of Chemistry, Indiana University-Bloomington, 800 E. Kirkwood Ave., Bloomington, Indiana 47405, United States.
Accounts of Chemical Research
|December 30, 2020
Summary
Novel core@shell nanoparticles stabilize platinum-alloy surfaces against metal leaching, enhancing durability and catalytic activity for reactions like oxygen reduction. This breakthrough offers robust, cost-effective electrocatalysts by using intermetallic seeds to protect earth-abundant metals.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Nanotechnology
- Electrochemistry
Background:
- Platinum-based alloy nanoparticles (NPs) are cost-effective electrocatalysts but suffer from non-noble metal leaching under harsh conditions.
- Leaching of base metals reduces catalyst stability and performance, limiting their practical applications in electrochemical devices.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a novel nanoparticle (NP) construct that enhances the durability and catalytic activity of Pt-based alloy electrocatalysts.
- To stabilize Pt-based random alloy surfaces against non-noble metal leaching using intermetallic seeds.
- To explore the tunability of catalytic performance through core@shell architecture, alloy composition, and NP shape.
Main Methods:
- Seed-mediated co-reduction (SMCR) was employed to deposit random alloy (ra-) PtM shells onto ordered intermetallic (i-) PdCu seeds.
- Classical molecular dynamics simulations were used to investigate the origin of durability enhancement at the core-shell interface.
- Shape-controlled synthesis was integrated by selecting specific capping ligands during SMCR to achieve nanocubic morphologies.
Main Results:
- Core@shell NPs (ra-PtCu on i-PdCu) exhibited higher specific and mass activities for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) compared to random alloy NPs.
- These NPs demonstrated outstanding durability, retaining ~85% of specific activity after 5000 cycles with minimal Cu leaching.
- Nanocubic core@shell NPs showed enhanced catalytic performance for formic acid electrooxidation compared to spherical counterparts.
Conclusions:
- Intermetallic cores effectively stabilize Pt-based alloy shells, preventing non-noble metal leaching and enhancing electrocatalyst durability.
- The SMCR method offers a versatile route to integrate architecture, alloy composition, and shape for designing high-performance, robust catalysts.
- This core@shell NP strategy paves the way for developing next-generation, cost-effective, and stable electrocatalysts for various applications.
