Metal-Support Interaction in Pt Nanodisk-Carbon Nitride Catalyst: Insight from Theory and Experiment

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology
• Catalysis

Background:

• Metal-support interactions critically influence catalytic activity.
• Understanding these interactions is crucial for optimizing catalyst performance.
• Low charge carrier transfer resistance is vital for certain catalytic reactions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the effect of intercalating platinum nanodisks into layered porous carbon nitride (g-CN) on electrocatalytic activity.
• To elucidate the bonding mechanism and electronic properties at the Pt-g-CN interface.
• To determine the optimal Pt nanodisk thickness for enhanced catalytic performance.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis of single crystalline Pt nanodisks on g-CN (Pt@g-CN).
• Characterization using electron microscopy techniques.
• Electrocatalytic activity measurements for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR).
• Density functional theory (DFT) calculations and d-band theory analysis.

Main Results:

• Intercalation of Pt nanodisks within g-CN interlayers increased electrocatalytic activity.
• DFT simulations revealed insights into the Pt-g-CN bonding mechanism and electronic structure.
• An optimal Pt thickness of approximately 11 Å was identified for peak catalytic performance.

Conclusions:

• The g-CN support enhances Pt nanodisk electrocatalytic activity for ORR.
• Pt-support interaction and nanodisk thickness are key factors in catalytic performance.
• Theoretical and experimental approaches are essential for understanding and optimizing metal-support catalysts.