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Synthesis of Bimetallic Pt/Sn-based Nanoparticles in Ionic Liquids
Published on: August 23, 2018
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Pt-Sn alloy shells with tunable composition and structure on Au nanoparticles for boosting ethanol oxidation
Ningkang Qian1, Liang Ji1, Xiao Li1
1State Key Laboratory of Silicon Materials and School of Materials Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.
Frontiers in Chemistry
|September 16, 2022
Summary
Developing advanced trimetallic gold-platinum-tin (Au@PtSn) core-shell nanoparticles significantly boosts ethanol oxidation reaction (EOR) electrocatalysis. These novel nanoparticles show superior activity and stability compared to commercial catalysts.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Electrochemistry
- Nanotechnology
Background:
- Core-shell nanostructures offer enhanced catalytic properties.
- Optimizing surface composition and structure is crucial for electrocatalyst performance.
- Ethanol oxidation reaction (EOR) is vital for fuel cells but requires efficient catalysts.
Purpose of the Study:
- To synthesize trimetallic Au@PtSn core-shell nanoparticles with tunable Pt-Sn alloyed shells.
- To evaluate the electrocatalytic performance and stability of these NPs for EOR.
- To understand the underlying mechanisms enhancing catalytic activity.
Main Methods:
- Synthesis of trimetallic Au@PtSn core-shell nanoparticles.
- Electrochemical characterization including mass activity and specific activity measurements.
- Stability testing and analysis of anti-poisoning ability.
- Theoretical calculations (DFT) to investigate electronic structure and d-band center.
Main Results:
- Au@PtSn core-shell NPs with hexagonal PtSn shells demonstrated significantly higher mass activity (13.0x) and specific activity (12.7x) for EOR compared to commercial Pt/C.
- These NPs exhibited superior stability, with only 44.8% loss in mass activity after 1,000 s, versus 86.8% for Pt/C.
- Enhanced anti-poisoning ability against reaction intermediates contributed to improved stability.
Conclusions:
- Trimetallic Au@PtSn core-shell NPs are highly effective electrocatalysts for EOR.
- The combination of Au core and Pt-Sn alloying optimizes the d-band center of Pt, boosting EOR activity.
- This study presents a promising strategy for designing advanced electrocatalysts for energy conversion applications.
