Simultaneous Formation of a Tensile-Strained PtNiBi Shell/Intermetallic PtBi Core for Self-Powered Methanol Upgrading...

Area of Science:

• Electrochemistry
• Materials Science
• Catalysis

Background:

• Methanol oxidation is crucial for direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs) and hydrogen production.
• Challenges include CO poisoning, CO2 emission, and high overpotentials.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel electrocatalyst for efficient methanol oxidation and hydrogen production.
• To create a CO2-emission-free system for methanol upgrading and H2 generation.

Main Methods:

• A one-pot wet chemical method was used to synthesize a monodispersed intermetallic PtBi core/tensile-strained PtNiBi shell (I-PtBi@TS-PtNiBi) electrocatalyst.
• Electrochemical characterization was performed to evaluate catalytic activity and efficiency.

Main Results:

• The I-PtBi@TS-PtNiBi electrocatalyst showed high mass activity (33.2 A mg-1 Pt) for methanol oxidation.
• It produced valuable formate with high Faradaic efficiencies (0.6-1.2 V).
• Achieved a high DMFC peak power density (175.0 mW cm-2) and efficient H2 production in an electrolyzer (1.16 V@2.0 A cm-2).

Conclusions:

• The developed electrocatalyst enables efficient methanol upgrading and H2 production without CO2 emission.
• This work provides insights into designing advanced multimetallic electrocatalysts for energy conversion and chemical upgrading.