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Continuous Phase Regulation of a Pd-Te Hexagonal Nanoplate Library
Xuan Huang1, Bingyan Xu1, Jie Feng2
1State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China.
Journal of the American Chemical Society
|December 14, 2023
Summary
Continuous phase modulation in palladium-tellurium nanoplates enhances catalytic activity. Adjusting palladium-palladium distances in these nanomaterials optimizes performance for reactions like oxygen reduction, paving the way for advanced catalyst design.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Nanotechnology
- Catalysis
Background:
- Phase engineering of noble metal nanomaterials is crucial for enhancing catalytic performance.
- Achieving continuous phase modulation in 2D structures and understanding structure-performance relationships are key challenges.
Purpose of the Study:
- To demonstrate continuous phase modulation in palladium-tellurium hexagonal nanoplates (HNPs).
- To investigate the relationship between phase-controlled Pd-Pd distances and catalytic activity, specifically for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR).
Main Methods:
- Synthesis of a library of Pd-Te HNPs with varying phases (cubic, rhombohedral, hexagonal).
- Characterization of the synthesized nanoplates.
- Electrochemical testing for ORR performance.
- Theoretical calculations to understand adsorption mechanisms.
Main Results:
- Successfully achieved continuous phase modulation across Pd-Te HNPs, from Pd4Te to PdTe2.
- Demonstrated that Pd-Pd interatomic distance is a critical factor in tuning catalytic activity.
- Hexagonal-phase PdTe HNPs exhibited superior ORR performance (mass activity: 1.02 A mg-1Pd; specific activity: 1.83 mA cm-2Pd at 0.9 V vs RHE).
- Theoretical analysis indicated that weaker *OH adsorption on Pd-Te HNPs contributes to enhanced ORR activity.
Conclusions:
- Continuous phase modulation in Pd-Te HNPs offers a novel strategy for tuning catalytic reactions.
- The findings provide a pathway for designing high-efficiency nanomaterials by controlling interatomic distances.
- This work significantly advances phase-controlled synthesis of noble metal nanostructures for diverse applications.
