Atomic Cobalt-Doped Palladium Metallene toward Efficient Oxygen Reduction Electrocatalysis

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry
• Catalysis

Background:

• Designing efficient and durable catalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in fuel cells remains a significant challenge.
• Palladium (Pd) metallene shows promise for ORR catalysis due to its unique properties and high Pd utilization.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel atomic cobalt-doped palladium metallene (Co-Pdene) catalyst for enhanced ORR electrocatalysis.
• To investigate the catalytic performance and durability of the Co-Pdene catalyst in alkaline media.

Main Methods:

• A straightforward wet-chemical approach was used to synthesize the ultrathin and highly curved Co-Pdene catalyst.
• Electrocatalytic performance was evaluated using techniques such as electrochemical mass activity (MA) measurements.
• Density Functional Theory (DFT) simulations were employed to understand the catalytic mechanism.

Main Results:

• The Co-Pdene catalyst achieved an exceptional electrochemical mass activity (MA) of 3.14 A per milligram palladium at 0.85 V.
• The catalyst maintained structural integrity over 30,000 potential cycles, demonstrating excellent durability.
• DFT simulations revealed that single-atom Co sites optimize the electronic structure of Pd, lowering the theoretical overpotential to 0.29 V.

Conclusions:

• Atomic cobalt-doped palladium metallene (Co-Pdene) is a highly efficient electrocatalyst for ORR in alkaline media.
• The study proposes an innovative design strategy for single-atom transition metal-doped Pd metallene as a superior ORR electrocatalyst.
• This work contributes to the development of advanced catalysts for fuel cell applications.