An all-metallic nanovesicle for hydrogen oxidation.

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology
• Catalysis

Background:

• Biological vesicles are ubiquitous, but inorganic artificial counterparts are challenging to synthesize.
• Interfacial strain is a key factor in the deformation and formation of nanostructures.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel biomimetic strategy for creating inorganic metal-based nanovesicles.
• To investigate the catalytic properties of the synthesized RhRu nanovesicles for hydrogen oxidation reactions.

Main Methods:

• Biomimetic synthesis of RhRu nanovesicles by curling ultrathin nanosheets.
• Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations to understand thermodynamic favorability.
• Experimental characterization of hydrogen oxidation reaction (HOR) activity and stability using rotating disk electrode (RDE) and hydroxide exchange membrane fuel cell (HEMFC) tests.

Main Results:

• A novel strategy was developed to create RhRu nanovesicles driven by interfacial strain.
• DFT calculations confirmed the thermodynamic favorability of Ru atoms in nanosheet curling.
• RhRu nanovesicles demonstrated significantly higher HOR mass activity (7.52 A mg_(Rh+Ru)^-1) compared to commercial Pt/C (0.31 mA mg_Pt^-1).
• HEMFCs with RhRu nanovesicles achieved a peak power density of 1.62 W cm^-2, outperforming commercial Pt/C (1.18 W cm^-2).

Conclusions:

• The study presents a new biomimetic approach for synthesizing inorganic nanomaterials.
• The developed RhRu nanovesicles show excellent catalytic performance and stability for HOR.
• This work offers a pathway for designing advanced catalytic reactors.