Platinum free ternary electrocatalysts prepared via organic colloidal method for oxygen reduction

Novel ternary palladium based alloy catalysts, PdFeIr/C, for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) have been successfully prepared via an organic colloid method with ethylene glycol as solvent and sodium citrate as complexing agent. The catalysts were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX). Electrochemical activity of the catalysts for ORR was evaluated by steady state polarization measurements, which were carried out on an ultra thin layer rotating disk electrode (RDE). Compared to pure Pd/C and Pd₃Fe/C, results showed that the ORR activity of PdFeIr/C was highest, and its methanol tolerance was better than Pt/C catalyst.     

Shape-dependent electrocatalysis: formic acid electrooxidation on cubic Pd nanoparticles

The electrocatalytic properties of palladium nanocubes towards the electrochemical oxidation of formic acid were studied in H(2)SO(4) and HClO(4) solutions and compared with those of spherical Pd nanoparticles. The spherical and cubic Pd nanoparticles were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The intrinsic electrocatalytic properties of both nanoparticles were shown to be strongly dependent on the amount of metal deposited on the gold substrate. Thus, to properly compare the activity of both systems (spheres and nanocubes), the amount of sample has to be optimized to avoid problems due to a lower diffusion flux of reactants in the internal parts of the catalyst layer resulting in a lower apparent activity. Under the optimized conditions, the activity of the spheres and nanocubes was very similar between 0.1 and 0.35 V. From this potential value, the activity of the Pd nanocubes was remarkably higher. This enhanced electrocatalytic activity was attributed to the prevalence of Pd(100) facets in agreement with previous studies with Pd single crystal electrodes. The effect of HSO(4)(-)/SO(4)(2-) desorption-adsorption was also evaluated. The activity found in HClO(4) was significantly higher than that obtained in H(2)SO(4) in the whole potential range.     

改性炭黑-LaMnO3复合材料的制备及其共价复合效应对氧还原性能的影响

以VulcanXC-72炭黑为载体,通过对炭载体石墨化处理和表面化学修饰,将其与化学沉淀法制备的纳米级LaMnO₃颗粒共混,再经特定温度下煅烧,制备出改性炭黑-LaMnO₃复合材料.X射线光电子能谱和热重分析表明,当煅烧温度在300℃时,炭载体与LaMnO₃纳米颗粒之间形成了大量C-O-M（M=La,Mn）化学键.扫描电子显微镜和高分辨透射电子显微镜分析发现,纯相LaMnO₃纳米颗粒主要呈现短棒、三支棒或竹节棒的形貌特征,炭载体则为具有完整石墨层的空心球结构,LaMnO₃均匀分散在炭载体上.在25℃,1mol/LNaOH溶液中的电化学测试结果表明,成分比（LaMnO₃：C）为2：3的复合材料具有很高的氧还原电催化活性,氧还原反应电子数为3.81,中间产物H₂O₂产率为9.5%,其活性接近商业Pt/C催化剂（E-TEK）.高的氧还原电催化活性主要归因于LaMnO₃纳米颗粒与炭载体之间形成了大量共价键.     

巯基功能化介孔材料高效锚定钯负载型催化剂的制备及其苯酚加氢催化性能

以含巯基官能团有机硅烷修饰的介孔材料MCM-41和SBA-15为载体, 采用浸渍-氢气还原法制备了高分散和高活性的负载型Pd催化剂. X射线衍射、N₂吸附-脱附和透射电子显微镜表征结果显示, 所制Pd催化剂Pd-SH-MCM-41和Pd-SH-SBA-15具有很好的长程有序结构、分布均匀的孔径、高比表面积及高度分散的Pd颗粒. 苯酚加氢反应结果表明, 以Pd-SH-MCM-41和Pd-SH-SBA-15为催化剂时, 在80℃, 1.0MPa反应1h, 苯酚转化率达99%以上, 环己酮选择性为98%. 它们的催化活性为商业Pd/C催化剂的5倍, Pd/MCM-41和Pd/SBA-15催化剂的3倍. 这可归因于介孔材料表面修饰的巯基官能团对Pd的锚定作用, 避免了Pd颗粒的团聚, 使其高度分散在介孔材料上.     

相转移法制备PdMo催化剂及其氧还原活性

以四丁基氢氧化铵作为相转移剂,以硼氢化钠为还原剂,利用相转移法在二氯甲烷中制备了一系列不同比例的Pd_xMo/C(Pd/Mo的原子比x=1、2、3、4、5)催化剂。透射电镜(TEM)图像显示,Pd_x Mo/C是呈2～4 nm的圆形颗粒,尺寸均匀、分散性良好。X射线衍射(XRD)结果表明,加入第二组元Mo后,Pd的晶格发生扩张,调节了 Pd的几何结构。此外,X射线光电子能谱(XPS)结果表明,相对于Pd/C,Pd_4Mo/C的Pd3d_(5/)2结合能负移了 0.50 eV,说明电负性较大的Pd从Mo吸电子,电子结构发生改变。氧还原反应(ORR)结果表明,不同比例的Pd_xMo/C催化剂活性均优于Pd/C,其中当x=4时,ORR活性最佳,其起始电位和半波电位分别为0.876和0.813 V,高于商业Pt/C的0.870和0.810 V。此外,在经过3 h的运行之后电流密度仍保留82.9%,与商业Pt/C相比具有明显的优势。     

Enhanced oxygen reduction at Pd catalytic nanoparticles dispersed onto heteropolytungstate-assembled poly(diallyldimethylammonium)-functionalized carbon nanotubes

Both Keggin-type phosphotungstic acid (HPW) and Pd are not prominent catalysts towards the oxygen reduction (ORR), but their composite Pd-HPW catalyst produces a significantly higher electrochemical activity for the ORR in acidic media. The novel composite catalyst was synthesized by self-assembly of HPW on multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) via the electrostatic attraction between negatively charged HPW and positively charged poly(diallyldimethylammonium (PDDA)-wrapped MWCNTs, followed by dispersion of Pd nanoparticles onto the HPW-PDDA-MWCNT assembly. The as-prepared catalyst was characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), Raman spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). TEM images show that Pd nanoparticles were uniformly dispersed on the surface of MWCNTs even when the Pd loading was increased to 60 wt%. Electrochemical activity of the catalysts for the ORR was evaluated by steady state polarization measurements using a rotating disk electrode. Compared with the acid treated MWCNTs, Pd nanoparticles supported on the HPW-assembled MWCNTs show a much higher ORR activity that is comparable to conventional Pt/C catalysts. The high electrocatalytic activities could be related to high dispersion of Pd nanoparticles as well as synergistic effects originating from the high proton conductivity of HPW. The Pd/HPW-PDDA-MWCNTs system as the cathode catalyst in proton exchange membrane fuel cells is demonstrated.     

Structural dependence of oxygen reduction reaction on palladium nanocrystals

We have synthesized sub-10 nm Pd cubic and octahedral nanocrystals and then evaluated their activities towards oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). The ORR activity of Pd nanocubes was one order of magnitude higher than that of Pd octahedra, and comparable to that of the state-of-the-art Pt catalysts.     

DFT study of difference caused by catalyst supports in Pt and Pd catalysis of oxygen reduction reaction

Based on an experimental phenomenon that catalytic activity of Pt and Pd for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) changes with catalyst supports from C to TiO₂, density function theory (DFT) was used to elucidate the cause behind the difference in catalysis caused by catalyst supports. First, factors closely associated with the first electron transfer of the ORR were assessed in the light of quantum chemistry. Then intermediate (atomic oxygen, O) adsorption strength on the catalyst surface was calculated. The results show that, in terms of minimum energy difference, the best orbital symmetry match, and the maximum orbital overlap, TiO₂ does bring about a very positive effect on catalysts Pd/TiO₂ for the first electron transfer of the ORR. Especially, TiO₂ remarkably expands the space size of Pd/TiO₂ HOMO orbital and improves orbital overlap of Pd/TiO₂ HOMO and O₂ LUMO. The analysis of deformation density and partial density of state shows that the strong interaction between Pt and Ti leads to a strong adsorption of intermediate O on Pt/TiO₂, but the strong interaction between Pd and surface O causes positive net charge of Pd and a weak adsorption of intermediate O on Pd/TiO₂. Thus, the ORR can proceed more smoothly on Pd/TiO₂ than Pt/TiO₂ in every respect of maximum orbital overlap and rate delay by intermediate O. The research also discloses that several factors lead to less activity of TiO₂-supported Pt and Pd catalysts than the C-supported ones for the ORR. These factors include the poor dispersion of Pt and Pd particles on TiO₂, poor electric conduction of TiO₂ carrier itself, and bigger energy difference between HOMO of TiO₂-carried metallic catalysts and LUMO of O₂ molecule due to electrons deeply embedded in the semiconductor TiO₂ carrier. Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 20676156), the Chinese Ministry of Education (Grant No. 307021), the National 863 Program (Grant Nos. 2006AA11A141 and 2007AA05Z124), and the Chongqing Sci &Tech Key Project (Grant No. CSTC2007AB6012)     

One-step synthesis of carbon-supported Pd–Pt alloy electrocatalysts for methanol tolerant oxygen reduction

A facile, one-step reduction route was developed to synthesize Pd-rich carbon-supported Pd–Pt alloy electrocatalysts of different Pd/Pt atomic ratios. As-prepared Pd–Pt/C catalysts exhibit a single phase fcc structure and an expansion lattice parameter. Comparison of the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) on the Pd–Pt/C alloy catalysts indicates that the Pd₃Pt₁/C bimetallic catalyst exhibits the highest ORR activity among all the Pd–Pt alloy catalysts and shows a comparative ORR activity with the commercial Pt/C catalyst. Moreover, all the Pd–Pt alloy catalysts exhibited much higher methanol tolerance during the ORR than the commercial Pt/C catalyst. High methanol tolerance of the Pd–Pt alloy catalysts could be attributed to the weak adsorption of methanol induced by the composition effect, to the presence of Pd atoms and to the formation of Pd-based alloys.     

Supported Pd–Cu Bimetallic Nanoparticles That Have High Activity for the Electrochemical Oxidation of Methanol

Monodisperse bimetallic Pd–Cu nanoparticles with controllable size and composition were synthesized by a one‐step multiphase ethylene glycol (EG) method. Adjusting the stoichiometric ratio of the Pd and Cu precursors afforded nanoparticles with different compositions, such as Pd₈₅–Cu₁₅, Pd₅₆–Cu₄₄, and Pd₃₉–Cu₆₁. The nanoparticles were separated from the solution mixture by extraction with non‐polar solvents, such as n‐hexane. Monodisperse bimetallic Pd–Cu nanoparticles with narrow size‐distribution were obtained without the need for a size‐selection process. Capping ligands that were bound to the surface of the particles were removed through heat treatment when the as‐prepared nanoparticles were loaded onto a Vulcan XC‐72 carbon support. Supported bimetallic Pd–Cu nanoparticles showed enhanced electrocatalytic activity towards methanol oxidation compared with supported Pd nanoparticles that were fabricated according to the same EG method. For a bimetallic Pd–Cu catalyst that contained 15 % Cu, the activity was even comparable to the state‐of‐the‐art commercially available Pt/C catalysts. A STEM‐HAADF study indicated that the formation of random solid‐solution alloy structures in the bimetallic Pd₈₅–Cu₁₅/C catalysts played a key role in improving the electrochemical activity.     

A facile preparation of carbon-supported Pd nanoparticles for electrocatalytic oxidation of formic acid

A low temperature approach via the complexing of PdCl₂ with EDTA followed by NaBH₄ reduction has been used to prepare Vulcan XC-72 carbon-supported Pd nanoparticles (Pd/C). The mean particle size of the Pd/C catalysts is found to increase from 3.3 to 9.2 nm with heat-treated temperature. TEM images demonstrated that the Pd nanoparticles are well dispersed on the support with a relatively narrow particle size distribution. A correlation between the electrocatalytic activity of formic acid oxidation and particle size of the Pd/C catalysts indicates that the highest activity of formic acid oxidation is found with a Pd mean particle size of ca. 4.7 nm. The preparation method used here is cost-effective and should be easily scaled for industrial production.     

Preparation of Pd/C catalyst for formic acid oxidation using a novel colloid method

A novel colloid method using (WO₃)_n·xH₂O as colloidal source was developed to prepare Pd/C catalyst for formic acid oxidation. Transmission electron microscopy image shows that the Pd/C nanoparticles have an average size of 3.3 nm and a narrow size distribution. Electrochemical measurements indicate that the Pd/C catalyst exhibits significantly high electrochemical active surface area and high catalytic activity with good stability for formic acid oxidation compared with that prepared by common method. The colloid method is very simple and has great potentials for mass-producing Pd/C and others noble metal catalysts.     

Ethylenediamine tetramethylene phosphonic acid assisted synthesis of palladium nanocubes and their electrocatalysis of formic acid oxidation

The synthesis of Pd nanocrystals of controlled size and morphology has drawn enormous interest due to their catalytic activity. We report a new and efficient strategy for the one-step synthesis of monodispersed Pd nanocubes with ethylenediamine tetramethylene phosphonate (EDTMP) as a complex-forming and capping agent. The morphology, structure, and growth mechanism of the Pd nanocubes were fully characterized via selected area electron diffraction (SAED), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). It was found that the morphology of the Pd nanocrystals in the proposed EDTMP–PdCl₂ system could be changed from octahedrons to nanocubes simply by adjusting the amount of iodide used during synthesis. After UV/ozone and electrochemical cleaning, the as-prepared Pd nanocubes demonstrated excellent electrocatalytic activity and stability during formic acid oxidation, owing to their abundant {100} facets and small particle size.     

Palladium monolayer and palladium alloy electrocatalysts for oxygen reduction

We investigated the oxygen-reduction reaction (ORR) on Pd monolayers on various surfaces and on Pd alloys to obtain a substitute for Pt and to elucidate the origin of their activity. The activity of Pd monolayers supported on Ru(0001), Rh(111), Ir(111), Pt(111), and Au(111) increased in the following order: Pd/Ru(0001) < Pd/Ir(111) < Pd/Rh(111) < Pd/Au(111) < Pd/Pt(111). Their activity was correlated with their d-band centers, which were calculated using density functional theory (DFT). We found a volcano-type dependence of activity on the energy of the d-band center of Pd monolayers, with Pd/Pt(111) at the top of the curve. The activity of the non-Pt Pd2Co/C alloy electrocatalyst nanoparticles that we synthesized was comparable to that of commercial Pt-containing catalysts. The kinetics of the ORR on this electrocatalyst predominantly involves a four-electron step reduction with the first electron transfer being the rate-determining step. The downshift of the d-band center of the Pd "skin", which constitutes the alloy surface due to the strong surface segregation of Pd at elevated temperatures, determined its high ORR activity. Additionally, it showed very high methanol tolerance, retaining very high catalytic activity for the ORR at high concentrations of methanol. Provided its stability is satisfactory, this catalyst might possibly replace Pt in fuel-cell cathodes, especially those of direct methanol oxidation fuel cells (DMFCs).     

Size‐Dependent Enhancement of Electrocatalytic Oxygen‐Reduction and Hydrogen‐Evolution Performance of MoS2 Particles

MoS₂ particles with different size distributions were prepared by simple ultrasonication of bulk MoS₂ followed by gradient centrifugation. Relative to the inert microscale MoS₂, nanoscale MoS₂ showed significantly improved catalytic activity toward the oxygen‐reduction reaction (ORR) and hydrogen‐evolution reaction (HER). The decrease in particle size was accompanied by an increase in catalytic activity. Particles with a size of around 2 nm exhibited the best dual ORR and HER performance with a four‐electron ORR process and an HER onset potential of ?0.16 V versus the standard hydrogen electrode (SHE). This is the first investigation on the size‐dependent effect of the ORR activity of MoS₂, and a four‐electron transfer route was found. The exposed abundant Mo edges of the MoS₂ nanoparticles were proven to be responsible for the high ORR catalytic activity, whereas the origin of the improved HER activity of the nanoparticles was attributed to the plentiful exposed S edges. This newly discovered process provides a simple protocol to produce inexpensive highly active MoS₂ catalysts that could easily be scaled up. Hence, it opens up possibilities for wide applications of MoS₂ nanoparticles in the fields of energy conversion and storage.     

Bismuth modified Pd/C as catalysts for hydrogen related reactions

The electrocatalytic activity of bimetallic BiPd catalysts supported on Sibunit carbon towards hydrogen oxidation/evolution reactions (HOR/HER) was studied in a gas diffusion electrode (GDE) setup. Catalysts were synthesized by deposition of Pd on the carbon support, followed by impregnation of Pd/C precursor with Bi(NO₃)₃ solution and reduction in hydrogen. Transmission electron microscopy and local EDX elemental analysis revealed that BiPd/C catalysts contain bimetallic particles with narrow size distribution with maxima at 3.2–4.1 nm. X-ray diffraction evidenced that bimetallic particles are constituted by Pd–Bi solid solution. It was shown that modification of Pd/C by bismuth increases the specific activity of palladium towards HOR/HER by a factor of 3.     

Pt单层修饰Pd/C氧还原催化剂

分别利用液相热解法和浸渍还原法制备了碳载钯纳米催化剂（Pd/C）,并研究了其对氧还原反应的电催化活性。与浸渍还原法相比,液相热解法得到的Pd/C催化剂虽然粒径较大,但表现出较好的氧还原反应（ORR）活性和稳定性.在所制备的Pd/C催化剂基础上,通过置换欠电势沉积的Cu原子单层,获得了Pt单层修饰的Pd/C催化剂,其ORR活性较Pd/C催化剂有显著提高,且与纯Pt/C催化剂接近,而其耐久性则较纯Pt/C催化剂有显著提升,显示出Pt单层催化剂的潜在优势.     

高(111)晶面暴露的Pd纳米颗粒的制备与表征及其加氢性能

通过液相氢气还原法,在不同温度下制备出了不同（111）晶面占比的Pd单晶纳米颗粒,用活性炭吸附制备成Pd/C纳米催化剂。通过透射电子显微镜（TEM）、傅里叶变换（FFT）、X射线衍射（XRD）表征证实了低温下制备的Pd纳米颗粒具有较高的（111）晶面占比。氢氧脉冲滴定（H₂-O₂）和H₂-程序升温脱附（H₂-TPD）结果显示,上述催化剂表面吸附氢气量与其Pd（111）晶面占比呈线性关系。此外,该系列Pd/C催化剂具有相似的粒径4.3 nm以及较窄的尺寸分布,相近的孔隙参数和Pd负载量,从而可对比（111）晶面比例差异对其加氢性能的影响。3个探针反应（苯乙烯、环己烯和对硝基甲苯的加氢反应）的实验结果表明,相比于低（111）晶面暴露比例的Pd/C催化剂,含有高（111）晶面暴露比例的Pd/C催化剂显示出更高的加氢活性,且Pd（111）晶面比例与氢气消耗速率呈一定的线性关系,这归因于H₂优先吸附于Pd（111）晶面促进了活性氢原子的形成。基于以上分析,高（111）晶面暴露的Pd基催化剂有利于加氢性能的提高。     

The Metal–Support Interaction Concerning the Particle Size Effect of Pd/Al2O3 on Methane Combustion

The particle size effect of Pd nanoparticles supported on alumina with various crystalline phases on methane combustion was investigated. Pd/θ, α‐Al₂O₃ with weak metal‐support interaction showed a volcano‐shaped dependence of the catalytic activity on the size of Pd particles, and the catalytic activity of the strongly interacted Pd/γ‐Al₂O₃ increased with the particle size. Based on a structural analysis of Pd nanoparticles using CO adsorption IR spectroscopy and spherical aberration‐corrected scanning/transmission electron microscopy, the dependence of catalytic activity on Pd particle size and the alumina crystalline phase was due to the fraction of step sites on Pd particle surface. The difference in fraction of the step site is derived from the particle shape, which varies not only with Pd particle size but also with the strength of metal–support interaction. Therefore, this interaction perturbs the particle size effect of Pd/Al₂O₃ for methane combustion.     

Facile Synthesis of AuPd Nanochain Networks on Carbon Supports and Their Application as Electrocatalysts for Oxygen Reduction Reaction

The present work reports the facile synthesis and characterization of carbon‐supported porous Pd shell coated Au nanochain networks (AuPdNNs/C). By using Co nanoframes as sacrificial templates, AuPdNNs/C series have been prepared by a two‐step galvanic replacement reaction (GRR) technique. In the first step, the Au metal precursor, HAuCl₄, reacts spontaneously with the formed Co nanoframes through the GRR, resulting in Au nanochain networks (AuNNs). The second GRR is performed with various concentrations of Pd precursor (0.1, 1, and 10 mM PdCl₂), resulting in AuPdNNs/C. The synthesized AuPdNNs/C series are investigated as electrocatalysts for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in alkaline solution. The physical properties of the AuPdNNs/C catalysts are characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), high‐resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), UV‐vis absorption spectroscopy, and cyclic voltammetry (CV). Rotating disk electrode (RDE) voltammetric studies show that the Au_0.8Pd_0.2NNs/C (prepared using 1 mM PdCl₂) has the highest ORR activity among all the AuPdNNs/C series, which is comparable to commercial Pt catalyst (E‐TEK). The ORR activity of AuPdNNs/C is presumably due to the enhanced Pd surface area and high porosity of Pd nanoshells.