Synthesis of Pt/Ru bimetallic nanoparticles in high-temperature and high-pressure fluids

A high-temperature and high-pressure flow-reactor system was applied to the synthesis of monometallic ruthenium (Ru) nanoparticles and platinum/ruthenium (Pt/Ru) bimetallic nanoparticles using the thermal reduction of ruthenium ion (Ru(III)) and the mixture of platinum (Pt(IV)) and ruthenium ions in water and ethanol mixture in the presence of poly(N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone). Monometallic Ru nanoparticles with an average diameter of ca. 2 nm were synthesized above 200 degrees C at 30 MPa. The monometallic Ru nanoparticles tended to make large aggregates in colloidal dispersions. By the reduction of the mixture solution of Pt(IV) and Ru(III) in water and ethanol above 200 degrees C at 30 MPa, Pt/Ru bimetallic nanoparticles with an average diameter of ca. 2.5 nm were synthesized with relatively small size distribution. The EXAFS spectra for the Pt/Ru bimetallic particles indicated that the particle possesses metallic bonds between Pt and Ru atoms in contrast to the case of the nanoparticles produced by thermal reduction under ambient pressure at 100 degrees C [M. Harada, N. Toshima, K. Yoshida, S. Isoda, J. Colloid Interface Sci. 283 (2005) 64], and that the Pt/Ru bimetallic particle has a Pt-core/Ru-shell structure.     

聚乙烯吡咯烷酮对Pt/Ru双金属纳米簇的结构和催化性能影响

以乙二醇为还原剂,通过微波热辐射制备得到稳定的Pt/Ru双金属胶体纳米簇,各颗粒粒径在1~2nm范围。考察了聚合物聚乙烯吡咯烷酮（PVP）对Pt/Ru双金属纳米簇表面原子组成及催化性能的影响。结果表明,PVP与金属前体之间的不同相互作用影响Pt/Ru双金属纳米簇的形成。在Pt/Ru双金属纳米簇形成之前加入PVP,Pt原子更容易富集在双金属表面,有利于增加Pt在催化反应中的作用。在PVP稳定的Pt/Ru双金属纳米簇中,除了零价态的Pt、Ru单质外,还存在氧化态的Pt化合物,归因于PVP与Pt前体的相互作用。在环己烯加氢反应中,PVP-Pt/Ru双金属纳米簇显示出比单金属纳米簇更优越的催化性能。     

Characterization of surface composition of platinum and ruthenium nanoalloys dispersed on active carbon

Supported samples of 8 wt % monometallic Pt/C and Ru/C, as well as 12 wt % bimetallic Pt50Ru50/C, were prepared by the method of incipient wetness impregnation. Impregnated samples were subsequently reduced by hydrogen and then oxidized in air at different To temperatures. TEM and XRD examinations indicated that metal crystallites were finely dispersed with a diameter of dM < or = 3 nm on the reduced samples. Reductive behavior of the oxidized samples by hydrogen was pursued with the technique of temperature programmed reduction (TPR). The temperature of the reduction peaks (Tr) noticed in the TPR profiles varied with the metal composition of catalysts and To temperature of oxidation. At To = 300 K, oxidation was confined to the surface layer of metallic crystallites. As a result, Pts O (with a peak at Tr = 230 K) or PtsO2 (Tr = 250 K) was formed on monometallic Pt/C while RusO2 (Tr approximately 380 K) was formed on Ru/C. A reductive peak with Tr = 250 K was found from the bimetallic sample from Pt50Ru50/C oxidized at To = 300 K. The reductive peak suggests bimetallic crystallites were dispersed with cherry type structure, with Pt exposed at the surface and Ru in the core. On increasing the To temperature of oxidation treatment to 370 K and higher, Tr peaks between 270 and 350 K were gradually noticed on the oxidized bimetallic sample. Peaks in this Tr region are assigned to reduction of the oxidized alloy surface (AsO). Evidently, a segregation of Ru to the surface of the bimetallic crystallites is indicated upon oxidation at To > 380 K.     

聚乙烯吡咯烷酮对Pt/Ru双金属纳米簇的结构和催化性能影响

以乙二醇为还原剂,通过微波热辐射制备得到稳定的Pt/Ru双金属胶体纳米簇,各颗粒粒径在1~2 nm范围。考察了聚合物聚乙烯吡咯烷酮(PVP)对Pt/Ru双金属纳米簇表面原子组成及催化性能的影响。结果表明,PVP与金属前体之间的不同相互作用影响Pt/Ru双金属纳米簇的形成。在Pt/Ru双金属纳米簇形成之前加入PVP,Pt原子更容易富集在双金属表面,有利于增加Pt在催化反应中的作用。在PVP稳定的Pt/Ru双金属纳米簇中,除了零价态的Pt、Ru单质外,还存在氧化态的Pt化合物,归因于PVP与Pt前体的相互作用。在环己烯加氢反应中,PVP-Pt/Ru双金属纳米簇显示出比单金属纳米簇更优越的催化性能。     

SYNTHESIS OF POLYMER-STABILIZED PLATINUM/RUTHENIUM BIMETALLIC COLLOIDS AND THEIR CATALYTIC PROPERTIES FOR SELECTIVE HYDROGENATION OF CROTONALDEHYDE

Polymer-stabilized platinum/ruthenium bimetallic colloids （Pt/Ru） were synthesized by polyol reduction with microwave irradiation and characterized by TEM and XPS. The colloidal nanoparticles have small and narrow size distributions. Catalytic performance of the Pt/Ru colloidal catalysts was investigated on the selective hydrogenation of crontonaldehyde （CRAL）. A suitable amount of the added metal ions and base can improve the selectivity of CRAL to crotylalcohol （CROL） remarkably. The catalytic activity and the selectivity are dependent on the compositions of bimetallic colloids. Thereinto, PVP-stabilized 9Pt/1Ru colloid with a molar ratio of metals Pt：Ru = 9：1 shows the highest catalytic selectivity 77.3% to CROL at 333 K under 4.0 MPa of hydrogen.     

Studies on State and Structure of Noble Metals in Electrocatalyst Made by Coprecipitation Method

The electrocatalysts of Pt/C,PtRu/C and Ru/C were prepared by the impregnation method.The facet characterization.The dispersion and the particle size for the catalysts were determined by means of X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy,X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy was also used to analyze the state and the valency of the noble metals.The results show that the particle size was in nanometer range and the binary metals have come into being an alloy.The platinum in the catalysts existed in zero valency.The valency of the ruthenium on the surface is different from that in the body,while the ruthenium on the surface existed in oxide-form.PtRu/C and Pt/C are of good activity of the electrooxidation of hydrogen except Ru/C.PtRu/C is more tolerant of CO than Pt/C,and CO is only adsorbed on Pt.     

Nanoscale bimetallic catalysts: are they really bimetallic?

The existence of bimetallic particles (and their reducibility and location on/or in the support) in Ru–Co/NaY and Pt–Co/NaY samples has been studied by in situ X-ray adsorption spectroscopy (XAS). It is established that in Ru–Co/NaY the monometallic clusters maintain their identity, whereas in Pt–Co/NaY the existence of small bimetallic particles can be established. In both cases the results are supported by other techniques, such as XPS and temperature-programmed reduction. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Preparation of colloidal solutions of noble metals stabilized by polyoxometalates and supported catalysts based on these solutions

Conditions for the preparation of stable aqueous monometallic and bimetallic colloidal solutions (sols) of noble metals (Ru, Rh, Pd, Pt, Ir, Ag, and Au) in the presence of polyoxometalates containing W, Mo, V, and Nb were found. The stability of sols against coagulation at room temperature was studied. The metal/C samples prepared by metal adsorption from sols were studied by powder X-ray diffraction analysis and transmission electron microscopy. The following factors of importance for the preparation of a stable sol are discussed: (1) the formation of a sol of a metal polyhydroxo complex stabilized by a polyoxometalate (preliminary stage) and (2) the formation of polyoxometalate-metal clusters in the course of reduction of polyhydroxo complexes.Translated from Kinetika i Kataliz, Vol. 45, No. 6, 2004, pp. 921–929.Original Russian Text Copyright © 2004 by Maksimova, Chuvilin, Moroz, Likholobov, Matveev.     

Physical and electrochemical characterizations of microwave-assisted polyol preparation of carbon-supported PtRu nanoparticles

PtRu nanoparticles supported on Vulcan XC-72 carbon and carbon nanotubes were prepared by a microwave-assisted polyol process. The catalysts were characterized by transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The PtRu nanoparticles, which were uniformly dispersed on carbon, were 2-6 nm in diameter. All PtRu/C catalysts prepared as such displayed the characteristic diffraction peaks of a Pt face-centered cubic structure, excepting that the 2theta values were shifted to slightly higher values. XPS analysis revealed that the catalysts contained mostly Pt(0) and Ru(0), with traces of Pt(II), Pt(IV), and Ru(IV). The electro-oxidation of methanol was studied by cyclic voltammetry, linear sweep voltammetry, and chronoamperometry. It was found that both PtRu/C catalysts had high and more durable electrocatalytic activities for methanol oxidation than a comparative Pt/C catalyst. Preliminary data from a direct methanol fuel cell single stack test cell using the Vulcan-carbon-supported PtRu alloy as the anode catalyst showed high power density.     

Effect of titanium,antimony, and ruthenium doping on tin dioxide adsorption properties. Quantum-chemical modeling

The influence of the composition of oxides supports on the specific electroactive surface area of Pt in the catalysts, the platinum nanoparticles dispersion, and Pt contents in the catalysts was studied. The Sb-doped SnO₂ oxides with various Sb-doping levels were prepared as a supports of platinum catalysts in polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells. Density functional theory simulation of Ti, Sb, and Ru doping of tin dioxide and interaction of the doped surfaces with platinum cluster Pt₁₉ have been carried out. All calculations were performed in PBE exchange–correlation functional, with periodic boundary conditions and projector-augmented waves (PAW) basis set. The calculation results were compared with the experimental data X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). It was shown that Sb doping of tin dioxide (in quantity of less than 10%, that is, the quantity which cannot provoke significant defects of crystal structure of the supports) leads to a significant increase in a number of platinum clusters adsorbed from the colloidal solution onto the supports surface which results to an increase of the platinum cluster interaction with the supports. The calculated and experimental results are in close fit.     

A new supported catalyst for methanol oxidation prepared by a reverse micelles method

Carbon supported platinum–ruthenium alloy catalyst prepared by reverse micelles method for was proposed. The particle size and morphology of catalyst were determined by XRD and TEM and found to be homogeneously dispersed on carbon support with narrow particle size distribution. The performance of the Pt–Ru/C catalyst was tested by cyclic voltammogram and galvanostatic polarization experiments in 1 M sulfuric acid with 2 M methanol solution at room temperature and showed a higher catalytic activity when compared with the standard Pt–Ru/C (E-TEK) catalyst.     

以切短多壁碳纳米管为载体制备高活性Pt/SCNT及PtRu/SCNT燃料电池催化剂

采用乙醇为助磨剂,利用球磨的方法将5-15μm长的多壁碳纳米管切短成长度约为200nm,并且分布较为均匀的短碳纳米管(SCNT).以SCNT为载体,采用有机溶胶法制得了含铂20%(w)的Pt/SCNT及PtRu/SCNT催化剂.实验发现:对于甲醇的阳极电氧化过程,以切短碳纳米管为载体的Pt/SCNT催化剂具有比相同条件制得的Pt/CNT催化剂高得多的催化活性,前者甲醇氧化峰电流密度是后者的1.4倍,并且远远高于商品的Pt/C催化剂.同时我们发现添加了钌的PtRu/SCNT具有比不含钌的催化剂更好的活性.采用X射线衍射(XRD)、透射电镜(TEM)、比表面积分析(BET)等方法对催化剂进行表征,结果表明,切短碳纳米管的晶相结构并未改变,但Pt/SCNT和PtRu/SCNT催化剂的比表面积和电化学活性得到了显著的提高.     

Implanting Atomic Dispersed Ru in PtNi Colloidal Nanocrystal Clusters for Efficient Catalytic Performance in Electro-oxidation of Liquid Fuels

Although PtRu alloy nanocatalysts have been certified to possess excellent electrocatalytic performance and CO-poisoning tolerance toward formic acid and methanol electro-oxidation, the unaffordable usages of ruthenium (Ru) and platinum (Pt) have greatly limited their widespread adoption. Here, a facile one-pot method is reported for implanting atomic dispersed Ru in PtNi colloidal nanocrystal clusters with different Ru/Pt/Ni molar ratios, greatly reducing the dosages of Pt and Ru, and further improving the catalytic performances for the electro-oxidation of formic acid and methanol. Through simple control of the amount of Ni(acac)₂ precursor, trimetallic Ru_0.3Pt_70.5Ni_29.2, Ru_0.6Pt_55.9Ni_43.5, Ru_0.2Pt_77.3Ni_22.5, and Ru_0.9Pt_27.3Ni_71.8 colloidal nanocrystal clusters (CNCs) are obtained. In particular, the Ru_0.3Pt_70.5Ni_29.2 CNCs exhibit excellent specific activities for formic acid and methanol electro-oxidation, that is, 14.2 and 15.3 times higher, respectively, than those of the Pt/C catalyst. Moreover, the Ru_0.3Pt_70.5Ni_29.2 CNCs also possess better anti-CO-poisoning properties and diffusion ability than the other RuPtNi CNCs. The excellent formic acid and methanol electro-oxidation activities of RuPtNi CNCs are ascribed to the optimal ligand effects derived from the Pt, Ni, and atomic dispersed Ru atoms, which can improve the OH adsorption ability and further the anti-CO-poisoning capability. This research opens a new door for increasing the electro-oxidation properties of liquid fuels by using lower dosages of noble metals in Pt-based catalysts.     

Supercritical,Freezing and Thermal Drying Process of Resorcinol‐Formaldehyde Polymer based Nano‐carbons and their Highly Loaded PtRu Anode Electrocatalyst for DMFC

The capillary condensation is affected by micropore and nanopore of catalyst layer on fuel cell. Due to limitation of sluggish mass transport and electrocatalytic activity, to retain the pore skeleton of carbon and metal nanoparticles are very significant for enhanced utilizations of pore structure in electrochemical reaction. Besides, thickness of electrocatalyst layer is very crucial due to one of the factor affected by cell performance of direct methanol fuel cell. Highly loaded four Pt?Ru anode catalysts supported on resorcinol‐formaldehyde (RF) polymer based on meso‐porous carbons (80 wt.% Pt?Ru/carbon cryogel, 80 wt.% Pt?Ru/carbon xerogel and 80 wt.% Pt?Ru/carbon aerogel) and conventional carbon (80 wt.% Pt?Ru/Vulcan XC‐72) were prepared by colloidal method for direct methanol fuel cell. These catalysts were characterized by X‐Ray diffraction (XRD), High resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR‐TEM) and X‐ray photoemission (XPS). The results of CO stripping voltammetry, cyclic voltammetry (CV) and single cell test performed on DMFC show that Pt?Ru/carbon cryogel and Pt?Ru/carbon aerogel exhibits better performances in comparison to Pt?Ru/carbon xerogel and Pt?Ru/Vulcan XC‐72. It is thus considered that particle size, oxidation state of metal and electrochemical active surface area of these catalysts are important role in electrocatalytic activity in DMFC.     

Synthesis and characterization of RuS2 nanostructures

Small naked ruthenium sulfide nanoparticles (NPs) with narrow size distribution (2.5 +/- 0.4 nm of diameter) were synthesized in DMSO colloidal dispersions, under mild reaction conditions and using commercial RuCl3 as precursor. To test the chemical reactivity with soft and hard bases, fresh presynthesized RuS2 colloids were mixed with triethylamine (N(Et)3) and ammonium tetrathiomolybdate ((NH4)2MoS4) dimethyl sulfoxide solutions. Naked N(Et)3 and [MoS4](2-)-capped RuS2 nanoparticle colloids were characterized using UV-visible electronic absorption and emission spectroscopies and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM). It has also been shown that capped RuS2-[MoS4]2- nanoparticles yield MoO3 crystalline matrix by means of HR-TEM experiments. The emission spectra of RuS2 and N(Et)3-RuS2 dispersions show that both nanosized materials have strong fluorescence. The existence of the ruthenium precursor species in solution was established by cyclic voltammetry. Moreover, naked RuS2 NPs were mixed with a chemical mixture with composition similar to gasoline (dibenzothiophene (Bz2S, 400 ppm), hexane, and toluene (55:45% v/v)). The reaction mixture consisted of two phases; in the polar phase, we found evidences of a strong interaction of Bz2S and toluene with the naked RuS2 NPs. We have also obtained self-organized thin films of capped N(Et)3- and RuS2-[MoS4]2- nanoparticles. In both cases, the shape and thickness of the resulting thin films were controlled by a dynamic vacuum procedure. The thin films have been characterized by atomic force microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, HR-TEM, energy dispersion spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and absorbance and fluorescence spectroscopies.     

Polymer-Protected Bimetallic Clusters. Preparation and Application to Catalysis

Colloidal dispersions of polymer-protected Pd/Pt and Pd/Au bimetallic clusters were prepared by reduction of an alcoholic solution of PdCl₂ and H₂PtCl₆ or HAuCl₄ in the presence of poly(N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone). The reduction can be carried out by refluxing in alcohol or by irradiation with visible light. The dispersions of the bimetallic clusters obtained are stable for months at room temperature and have from dark brown to brownish red color. Transmission electron micrographs show that the bimetallic clusters are composed of well-dispersed ultrafine particles of uniform size, about 1.5 nm for Pd-Pd and 3.4 nm for Pd-Au in diameter. The catalytic activity of the bimetallic clusters depends on the metal composition. In the case of the partial hydrogenation of 1, 3-cyclooctadiene, the activity went through a maximum when the alloy composition reached about 80% Pd and 20% Pt, or 60% Pd and 40% Au.     

Promotion of the electrochemical activity of a bimetallic platinum-ruthenium catalyst by oxidation-induced segregation

An alloy catalyst of 15 wt % Pt(50)Ru(50)/C was prepared by the method of incipient wetness impregnation and activated by hydrogen reduction at 620 K. Physical characterization of the freshly reduced catalyst indicated that bimetallic crystallites, Pt rich in the shell and Ru rich in the core, were finely dispersed in a diameter of dPtRu approximately 2 nm on carbon support. The reduced catalyst was subsequently modified by oxidization in air. On increasing the temperature of oxidation (T(o)), atoms of Ru in the core were found segregated to the surface of bimetallic crystallites and oxidized to amorphous RuO(2). Crystalline RuO(2) (RucO(2)) was formed on extensive segregation at To > 520 K. Catalytic activity of the alloy catalyst for electro-oxidation of methanol was examined by cyclic voltammetry. Electrochemical activity of the Pt-Ru/C catalyst was found to be significantly enhanced by oxidation treatments. The enhancement was, therefore, attributed to the segregation of Ru and the formation of RucO(2). Extensive oxidation treatment at elevated temperatures of To > 600 K, however, caused the deactivation of the electroactivity. The deactivation should be the result of excessive oxidation of the carbon support.     

三组Pt- Ru/C催化剂前驱体对其性能的影响

分别以三组不同的Pt和Ru化合物为前驱体, 采用热还原法制备了Pt-Ru/C催化剂, 比较不同前驱体对催化剂性能的影响；通过XRD和TEM技术对催化剂的晶体结构及微观形貌进行了分析. 结果表明以H₂PtCl₆+RuCl₃和自制(NH₄)₂PtCl₆+Ru(OH)₃为前驱体的催化剂Pt和Ru没有完全形成合金状态, 在Pt(111)和Pt(200)之间有Ru(101)存在；以Pt(NH₃)₂(NO₂)₂和自制含钌化合物为前驱体制备的催化剂未检测出Ru金属或其氧化物的衍射峰, Pt-Ru颗粒在载体上分散均匀, 粒径最小, 为3.7 nm. 利用玻碳电极测试了循环伏安、记时电流和阶跃电位曲线, 考核了上述催化剂对甲醇阳极催化氧化活性的影响；结果表明：以Pt(NH₃)₂(NO₂)₂和自制含钌化合物为前驱体制备的催化剂对甲醇的电催化氧化活性最高, 循环伏安曲线峰电流密度达11.5 mA•cm^-2.     

Diffusion of buffer layer assisted grown gold nanoclusters on Ru(100) and p(1 x 2)-O/Ru(100) surfaces

Patterning of metallic clusters on surfaces is demonstrated by utilizing a buffer layer assisted laser patterning technique (BLALP). This method has been employed in order to measure the diffusion of AFM and STM characterized size selected gold nanoclusters (5-10 nm diameter), over Ru(100) and p(1 x 2)-O/Ru(100) surfaces. Optical linear diffraction from gold cluster coverage gratings was utilized for the macroscopic diffusion measurements. The clusters were found to diffuse on the surface intact without significant coalescence or sintering. The barrier for metastable gold nanocluster diffusion on the surface is thought to be lower than the energy required for surface wetting. The apparent activation energy for diffusion was found to depend on the cluster size, increasing from 6.2 +/- 0.4 kcal/mol for 5 nm clusters to 10.6 +/- 0.5 kcal/mol for 9 nm clusters. The macroscopic diffusion of gold nanoclusters has been studied on the p(1 x 2)-O/Ru(100) surface as well, where surface diffusion was found to be rather insensitive to the clusters size with activation energy of 5.5 +/- 1 kcal/mol. The difference between the two surfaces is discussed in terms of a better commensurability (higher level of friction) of the gold facets at the contact area with the clean Ru(100) than in the case of the oxidized surface.     

Structure of Ag,Fe and Ge microclusters

The structures of Ag, Fe and Ge microclusters were determined using EXAFS. The measurements were performed over a wide range of clusters sizes. The clusters were prepared using the gas aggregation technique and isolated in solid argon at 4.2 K. The measurements were performed at the National Synchrotron Light Source (NSLS) at beam line X-18B. A strong contraction of the interatomic distances was observed for Ag dimers and multimers. Silver clusters larger than 12 A mean diameter show a small contraction of thenn distance and a structure consistent with an fcc lattice. By contrast clusters smaller than 12 A show the presence of a small expansion and a strong reduction or absence ofnnn in the EXAFS signal. This points towards a different crystallographic structure for Ag microclusters with diameter less than 12 A. In iron clusters we observe a gradual reduction of thenn distance as the cluster size decreases. The interatomic distance for iron dimers was determined to be 1.94 A, in good agreement with earlier measurements. The iron microclusters show a bcc structure down to a mean diameter of 9 A. Iron clusters with 9 A mean diameter show a structure inconsistent with a bcc lattice. The new structure is consistent with an fcc or hcp lattice. The measurements on Ge clusters show the presence of only nearest neighbors. There was clear evidence of temporal annealing as determined by variations in the near edge structure of the K-absorption edge. Absorption edge measurements were also performed for free Ge clusters travelling perpendicular to the direction of the synchrotron radiation beam. The measurements performed on the free clusters were consistent with those obtained for matrix isolated clusters.