Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 19, 2025
06:58
Photodeposition of Pd onto Colloidal Au Nanorods by Surface Plasmon Excitation
Published on: August 15, 2019
7.5K
Ethanol Electrooxidation at 1-2 nm AuPd Nanoparticles
Juliette W Strasser1, Richard M Crooks1
1Department of Chemistry, Texas Materials Institute, The University of Texas at Austin, 2506 Speedway, Stop A5300, Austin, TX 78712-1224, USA.
Nanomaterials (Basel, Switzerland)
|November 26, 2022
Summary
Alloyed gold-palladium nanoparticles show superior ethanol oxidation reaction activity and stability compared to single-metal nanoparticles. Post-catalytic analysis confirms their structural integrity during electrocatalysis.
Area of Science:
- Nanomaterials Science
- Electrocatalysis
- Surface Chemistry
Background:
- Ethanol oxidation reaction (EOR) is crucial for fuel cells.
- Developing stable and active electrocatalysts is essential for efficient EOR.
- Nanoparticle stability and composition changes during catalysis are often overlooked.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically investigate the electrocatalytic properties and stability of gold (Au), palladium (Pd), and AuPd alloy nanoparticles (NPs) for EOR.
- To evaluate the impact of NP size and composition on EOR performance.
- To highlight the importance of post-catalytic characterization for understanding NP behavior.
Main Methods:
- Synthesis of 1-2 nm Au, Pd, and AuPd alloy nanoparticles.
- Electrocatalytic testing for the ethanol oxidation reaction (EOR).
- Post-catalysis characterization using aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy (ac-STEM) and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS).
Main Results:
- Alloyed AuPd NPs demonstrated significantly enhanced EOR activity compared to monometallic Au or Pd NPs.
- A 3:1 Au:Pd ratio in alloyed NPs yielded an ~8-fold increase in peak current density and a negative shift in onset potential.
- AuPd alloy NPs maintained their size and composition after 1.0-2.0 hours of chronoamperometry, unlike monometallic Au NPs which grew from 2 to 5 nm.
Conclusions:
- Alloyed AuPd nanoparticles are promising electrocatalysts for the ethanol oxidation reaction due to enhanced activity and stability.
- Post-catalytic characterization techniques like ac-STEM/EDS are vital for accurately assessing nanoparticle performance and stability.
- Understanding NP structural evolution during electrocatalysis is critical for designing next-generation catalysts.
