Enhanced atomic hydrogen utilization on ordered Pd₁Cu intermetallic single-atom alloy for electrochemical...

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry

Background:

• Haloacetic acids (HAAs) are persistent environmental pollutants.
• Conventional catalysts for electrochemical hydrodehalogenation (ECHD) are often inefficient and produce toxic intermediates.
• There is a need for advanced catalysts to effectively degrade HAAs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel catalyst for efficient electrochemical hydrodehalogenation (ECHD) of HAAs.
• To investigate the synergistic effects of bipolar sites on catalytic activity.
• To elucidate the structure-function relationship in the designed catalyst.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis of ordered Pd-Cu intermetallic single-atom alloy layers on a Cu core.
• Characterization of bipolar Pd^δ--Cu^δ+ sites using theory and experiments.
• Evaluation of catalytic performance in ECHD of trichloroacetic acid (TCAA).

Main Results:

• The Pd-Cu bipolar sites enhance Pd binding energy and reduce water-dissociation barriers.
• Facilitated H* generation and utilization over bipolar sites promote efficient ECHD.
• Cu/B2 Pd₁Cu demonstrated significantly higher TCAA degradation rates and acetic acid yield compared to Cu and Pd nanocubes.

Conclusions:

• Ordered Pd₁Cu intermetallic single-atom alloy layers with uniform bipolar sites are effective for HAAs ECHD.
• The study provides a general design strategy for multifunctional electrocatalysts.
• This approach offers a greener route for removing refractory HAAs.