Tunable Pt-NiO interaction-induced efficient electrocatalytic water oxidation and methanol oxidation

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Optimizing catalytic activity relies on metal-support interaction engineering.
• Precise control over metal-support interactions and understanding catalytic mechanisms, especially with non-carbon supports, remain challenging.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a controllable synthesis strategy for novel platinum (Pt) nanoarchitectures on a porous nickel oxide (NiO) nanoflake support.
• To investigate the impact of tailored metal-support interactions on electrocatalytic performance.

Main Methods:

• A controllable adsorption-impregnation strategy was employed to prepare porous 2D NiO nanoflake supports.
• Different forms of Pt nanoarchitectures, including single atoms, clusters, and nanoparticles, were anchored onto the NiO support.
• Electrocatalytic performance for oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and methanol oxidation reaction (MOR) was evaluated in an alkaline system.

Main Results:

• The porous NiO support facilitated the immobilization of Pt single atoms, inducing NiO lattice distortion and altering Pt's electronic structure.
• Synergistic effects between Pt single atoms and the NiO support significantly enhanced mass transfer and reduced reaction kinetic barriers.
• Achieved high mass activity: 5.59 A mgPt−1 at 0.274 V for OER and 0.42 A mgPt−1 at 0.7 V for MOR.

Conclusions:

• The developed adsorption-impregnation strategy enables fine regulation of metal-support interactions.
• Pt single atoms anchored on porous NiO nanosheets exhibit superior electrocatalytic activity due to unique metal-support synergy.
• This work provides fundamental insights for designing advanced electrocatalysts by controlling metal-support interactions.