A Tensile-Strained Pt-Rh Single-Atom Alloy Remarkably Boosts Ethanol Oxidation

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Controlling single-atomic sites in multimetallic alloys for electrocatalysis is challenging.
• Achieving high atomic utilization and catalytic properties requires precise nanostructure design.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize and characterize a novel tensile-strained platinum-rhodium single-atom alloy.
• To investigate its electrocatalytic performance for ethanol oxidation in alkaline media.

Main Methods:

• Atomic galvanic replacement to form isolated Rh atoms on PtBi nanoplates.
• Electrochemical dealloying to create a tensile-strained Pt-Rh single-atom alloy (PtBi@PtRh1).
• Density functional theory (DFT) calculations to understand reaction mechanisms.

Main Results:

• PtBi@PtRh1 nanoplates demonstrated record-high activity, selectivity, and stability for ethanol oxidation.
• The material exhibited excellent anti-poisoning ability in alkaline electrolytes.
• DFT calculations confirmed synergistic effects between Rh single atoms and tensile strain.

Conclusions:

• The developed tensile-strained single-atom alloy offers a new strategy for designing efficient electrocatalysts.
• This approach accelerates the development of advanced nanostructures for energy applications.