PtM/MxBy (M=Ni,Co, Fe) Heterostructured Nanobundles as Advanced Electrocatalyst for Hydrogen Evolution Reaction

Optimizing the electronic and synergistic effect of hybrid electrocatalysts based on Pt and Pt-based nanocatalysts is of tremendous importance towards a superior hydrogen evolution performance under both acidic and alkaline conditions. However, developing an ideal Pt-based hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) electrocatalyst with moderated electronic structure as well as strong synergistic effect is still a challenge. Herein, we fabricated boron (B)-doped PtNi nanobundles by a two-step method using NaBH₄ as the boron source to obtain PtNi/Ni₄B₃ heterostructures with well-defined nanointerfaces between PtNi and Ni₄B₃, achieving an enhanced catalytic HER performance. Especially, the PtNi/Ni₄B₃ nanobundles (PtNi/Ni₄B₃ NBs) can deliver a current density of 10 mA cm⁻² at the overpotential of 14.6 and 26.5 mV under alkaline and acidic media, respectively, as well as outstanding electrochemical stability over 40 h at the current density of 10 mA cm⁻². Remarkably, this approach is also universal for the syntheses of PtCo/Co₃B and PtFe/Fe₄₉B with outstanding electrocatalytic HER performance.     

Facile and Large-Scale Fabrication of Sub-3 nm PtNi Nanoparticles Supported on Porous Carbon Sheet: A Bifunctional Material for the Hydrogen Evolution Reaction and Hydrogenation

Facile and large-scale preparation of materials with uniform distributions of ultrafine particles for catalysis is a challenging task, and it is even more difficult to obtain catalysts that excel in both the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and hydrogenation, which are the corresponding merging and splitting procedures of hydrogen, respectively. Herein, the fabrication of ultrafine bimetallic PtNi nanoparticles embedded in carbon nanosheets (CNS) by means of in situ self-polymerization and annealing is reported. This bifunctional catalyst shows excellent performance in the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and the hydrogenation of p-nitrophenol. Remarkably PtNi bimetallic catalyst with low metal loading (PtNi₂@CNS-600, 0.074 wt % Pt) exhibited outstanding HER activity with an overpotential as low as 68 mV at a current density of 10 mA cm⁻² with a platinum loading of only 0.612 μg_Pt cm⁻² and Tafel slope of 35.27 mV dec⁻¹ in a 0.5 m aqueous solution of H₂SO₄, which is comparable to that of the 20 % Pt/C catalyst (31 mV dec⁻¹). Moreover, it also shows superior long-term electrochemical durability for at least 30 h with negligible degradation compared with 20 % Pt/C. In addition, the material with increased loading (mPtNi₂@CNS-600, 2.88 % Pt) showed robust catalytic activity for hydrogenation of p-nitrophenol at ambient pressure and temperature. The catalytic activity towards hydrogen splitting is a circumstantial evidence that agrees with the Volmer–Tafel reaction path in the HER.     

Programmable Exposure of Pt Active Facets for Efficient Oxygen Reduction

To produce efficient ORR catalysts with low Pt content, PtNi porous films (PFs) with sufficiently exposed Pt active sites were designed by an approach combining electrochemical bottom‐up (electrodeposition) and top‐down (anodization) processes. The dynamic oxygen‐bubble template (DOBT) programmably controlled by a square‐wave potential was used to tune the catalyst morphology and expose Pt active facets in PtNi PFs. Surface‐bounded species, such as hydroxyl (OH^*, *=surface site) on the exposed PtNi PFs surfaces were adjusted by the applied anodic voltage, further affecting the dynamic oxygen (O₂) bubbles adsorption on Pt. As a result, PtNi PF with enriched Pt(111) facets (denoted as Pt_{3.5 %}Ni PF) was obtained, showing prominent ORR activity with an onset potential of 0.92 V (vs. RHE) at an ultra‐low Pt loading (0.015 mg cm^?2).     

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.     

Reversible Electrocatalytic Activity of Carbon‐Supported PtxNi1−x in Hydrogen Reactions

Hydrogen oxidation and evolution reactions (HOR and HER) are studied on Pt_xNi_1?x/C materials synthesized by the bromide anion exchange method. Physicochemical characterization shows that this surfactant‐free method enables the preparation of well‐dispersed and effective catalysts for the processes involved in the anode of H₂/O₂ fuel cells (HOR) and the cathode of water electrolyzers (HER). The Pt‐based materials are modified with different Ni contents to decrease the amount of costly precious metal in the electrode materials. These modified Pt‐based materials are found to be electroactive for both reactions without additional overpotential. Kinetic parameters such as the Tafel slope, exchange (j₀) and kinetic current densities, and the rate‐determining steps of the reaction mechanisms are determined for each Pt–Ni catalyst and compared to those obtained at the Pt/C surface in alkaline medium. The high j₀ values that are obtained indicate a probable contribution of the surface structure of the catalysts due to their roughness and the presence of oxygenated Ni species even at low potentials.     

Combinatorial screening of ternary Pt–Ni–Cr catalysts for methanol electro-oxidation

Methanol electro-oxidation activity of ternary Pt–Ni–Cr system was studied by using a combinatorial screening method. A Pt–Ni–Cr thin-film library was prepared by sputtering and quickly characterized by a multichannel multielectrode analyzer. Among the 63 different composition thin-film catalysts, Pt₂₈Ni₃₆Cr₃₆ showed the highest methanol electro-oxidation activity and good stability. This new composition was also studied in its powder form by synthesizing and characterizing Pt₂₈Ni₃₆Cr₃₆/C catalyst. In chronoamperometry testing, the Pt₂₈Ni₃₆Cr₃₆/C catalyst exhibited “decay-free” behavior during 600 s operation by keeping its current density up to 97.1% of its peak current density, while the current densities of Pt/C and Pt₅₀Ru₅₀/C catalysts decreased to 14.0% and 60.3% of their peak current densities, respectively. At 600 s operation, current density of the Pt₂₈Ni₃₆Cr₃₆/C catalyst was 23.8 A g_{noble metal}⁻¹, while that of those of the Pt/C and Pt₅₀Ru₅₀/C catalysts were 2.74 and 18.8 A g_{noble metal}⁻¹, respectively.     

Hydrogen evolution reaction and formic acid oxidation by decorated nanostructural Pt/Pd on a copper-filled nanoporous stainless steel

In this work, a 304 stainless steel (SS) was anodized to prepare nanoporous SS (NPSS) with an average size of about 75 nm and then filled with copper (Cu/NPSS) using pulsed electrodeposition method. Afterward, a nanostructural Pt and Pd film was deposited by galvanic replacement (GR) on the Cu/NPSS to prepare modified electrode (PtPd/Cu/NPSS) for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and formic acid electrooxidation (FAO). The electrocatalytic activity of the modified electrode and its structural characterization have been studied by voltammetric methods, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES), and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM). The results show that the nanostructural Pt₁Pd₁/Cu/NPSS composition, with low Pt loading and suitable stability, has a good electrocatalytic performance toward HER (E_Onset = + 12 mV vs. NHE) and FAO (E_Onset = ?180 mV vs. NHE). For HER observed a high mass activity of noble metals (87.54 mA cm^?2μg _Pd+Pt ^?1 ) in comparison with Pt deposited Cu/NPSS (41.5 mA cm^?2 μg _Pt ^?1 ) at the same applied potential of ? 0.25 V versus NHE. Also, the fabricated electrocatalysts with more electrochemically active surface area in comparison with Pd/Cu/NPSS and Pt/Cu/NPSS revealed more resisting to the poisoning components and good stability for FAO.     

Microstructure and electrochemically active surface area of PtM/C electrocatalysts

The results of the study of microstructural parameters and the data on the electrochemically active surface area of Pt/C and Pt₅₀M₅₀/C (M = Ni, Cu, Ag) catalysts in 1 M H₂SO₄ solutions are compared. The metal-carbon nanomaterials were prepared by the method of chemical reduction of metals from the organoaqueous solutions of their compounds. The loading of metal component in them was 30–33 wt %. It is found that actual composition of metal component in the synthesized binary systems fits best the theoretically expected one (1: 1) for the PtAg/C catalyst whereas in the PtNi/C and PtCu/C systems, a considerable fraction of alloying component is present in the form of the corresponding oxides. A decrease in the average size of crystallites of metal component from 3.8 to 1.6 nm in the series of studied materials PtAg/C > Pt/C ≥ PtCu/C s> PtNi/C does not correspond to the character of the variation of electrochemically active surface area of the catalysts: PtNi/C ≈ PtCu/C < Pt/C ≪ PtAg/C increasing from 16–20 to 62–69 m²/g(Pt). The contradiction can be caused by the preferential segregation of platinum on the surface of nanoparticles of PtAg alloy, a higher degree of agglomeration of smaller nanoparticles, and, in the case of PtNi/C and PtCu/C materials, also by the insulation of a fraction of nanoparticle surface area by the corresponding oxides.     

Small‐Sized Tungsten Nitride Particles Strongly Anchored on Carbon Nanotubes and their Use as Supports for Pt for Methanol Electro‐oxidation

The anchoring of small‐sized WN (tungsten nitride) nanoparticles (NPs) with good dispersion on carbon nanotubes (CNTs) offers an effective means of obtaining promising materials for use in electrocatalysis. Herein, an effective method based on grinding treatment followed by a nitridation process is proposed to realize this goal. In the synthesis, a solution containing H₄[SiO₄(W₃O₉)₄] (SiW₁₂) and CNTs modified with polyethylenimine (PEI‐CNTs) was ground to dryness. Small‐sized WN NPs were anchored onto the CNTs with good dispersion after calcination under NH₃. Under hydrothermal assembly conditions (absence of grinding), WN particles of larger size and with inferior dispersion were obtained, demonstrating the important role of the grinding process. The benefit of the small‐sized WN has been demonstrated by using WN/CNTs as a support for Pt to catalyze the methanol electro‐oxidation reaction. The mass activity of Pt‐WN/CNTs‐G‐70 (where G denotes the grinding treatment, and 70 is the loading amount (%) of WN in the WN/CNTs) was evaluated as about 817 mA mg^?1_Pt, better that those of commercial Pt/C (340 mA mg^?1_Pt) and Pt/CNTs (162 mA mg^?1_Pt). The Pt‐WN/CNTs‐G also displayed good CO tolerance. In contrast, Pt‐WN/CNTs prepared without the grinding process displayed an activity of 344 mA mg^?1_Pt, verifying the key role of grinding treatment in the preparation of WN/CNTs with good co‐catalytic effect.     

One-Pot Synthesis of Pd@PtnL Core-Shell Icosahedral Nanocrystals in High Throughput through a Quantitative Analysis of the Reduction Kinetics

The rational design and implementation of a one-pot method is reported for the facile synthesis of Pd@Pt_nL (nL denotes the number of Pt atomic layers) core-shell icosahedral nanocrystals in a single step. The success of this method relies on the use of Na₂PdCl₄ and Pt(acac)₂ as the precursors to Pd and Pt atoms, respectively. Our quantitative analysis of the reduction kinetics indicates that the Pd^II and Pt^II precursors are sequentially reduced with a major gap between the two events. Specifically, the Pd^II precursor is reduced first, leading to the formation of Pd-based icosahedral seeds with a multiply-twinned structure. In contrast, the Pt^II precursor prefers to take a surface reduction pathway on the just-formed icosahedral seeds. As such, the otherwise extremely slow reduction of the Pt^II precursor can be dramatically accelerated through an autocatalytic process for the deposition of Pt atoms as a conformal shell on each Pd icosahedral core. Compared to the conventional approach of seed-mediated growth, the throughput for the one-pot synthesis of Pd@Pt_nL core-shell nanocrystals can be increased by more than 30-fold. When used as catalysts, the Pd@Pt_4.5L core-shell icosahedral nanocrystals show specific and mass activities of 0.83 mA cm⁻² and 0.39 A mg_Pt⁻¹, respectively, at 0.9 V toward oxygen reduction. The Pt-based nanocages derived from the core-shell nanocrystals also show enhanced specific (1.45 mA cm⁻²) and mass activities (0.75 A mg_Pt⁻¹) at 0.9 V, which are 3.8 and 3.3 times greater than those of the commercial Pt/C, respectively.     

Oxygen electroreduction at catalysts PtM (M = Co,Ni, or Cr)

Bimetallic catalysts PtM (M = Co, Ni, or Cr) are synthesized. They exceed purely platinum commercial catalyst E-TEK (20 wt % Pt) in its mass activity (mA/mg_Pt) and specific activity (mA/c_Pt²) in the oxygen reduction reaction. According to XRD data, the high-temperature synthesis involving metal N₄-complexes, chloroplatinic acid, and XC72 carbon black as precursors, yields alloys (or solid solutions) of the metals. The higher activity of the bimetallic catalyst PtCo/C is likely to be caused by the practically entire formation of solid solutions (Pt₃Co and PtCo), unlike PtNi and PtCr where nickel and chromium exist also as oxides that decorate the electrode surface and partly block active centers. It is shown that the mechanism of the oxygen reduction reaction at the synthesized catalysts is similar to that of oxygen reduction at the purely platinum catalyst. The slow stage in the process is transfer of the 1st electron; at potentials more positive than 0.6 V the reaction mainly yields water. The higher electrocatalytic activity of the bimetallic systems is caused by the alloy formation, which leads to changes in the bond length between platinum atoms. The achieving of the optimal bond length, as a result of the alloy formation, provides appropriate conditions for dissociative adsorption of oxygen molecules; the surface coverage with oxygen-containing particles adsorbed from water (which block active centers for O₂ adsorption) decreased. The increase in the activity may also be caused by the formation of the “core-shell” structures whose surface is enriched with platinum whose surface properties are changed under the ligand action of the core formed by the metal alloy     

Topics in current chemistry volume 92 : (Managing Editor,F.L. Boschke), Springer-Verlag,Berlin-Heidelberg-New York, 1980, 178 pages.

A novel route for the synthesis of metal—tetraazadiene complexes is reported involving the direct transfer of a Ar₂N₄ ligand from [Ni(Ar₂N₄)₂] to Ni⁰ and Pt⁰ centres in the presence of t-butylisocyanide, resulting in [M(Ar₂N₄)(t-BuNC)₂] species. For M  Pt the latter complexes can also be prepared by reaction of the zerovalent isocyanide complex with the appropriate azide or by addition of t-BuNC to [Pt(Ar₂N₄)(COD)].     

Platinum Oxide Nanoparticles for Electrochemical Hydrogen Evolution: Influence of Platinum Valence State

Electrochemical hydrogen generation is a rising prospect for future renewable energy storage and conversion. Platinum remains a leading choice of catalyst, but because of its high cost and low natural abundance, it is critical to optimize its use. In the present study, platinum oxide nanoparticles of approximately 2 nm in diameter are deposited on carbon nitride (C3N4) nanosheets by thermal refluxing of C3N4 and PtCl₂ or PtCl₄ in water. These nanoparticles exhibit apparent electrocatalytic activity toward the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in acid. Interestingly, the HER activity increases with increasing Pt⁴⁺ concentration in the nanoparticles, and the optimized catalyst even outperforms commercial Pt/C, exhibiting an overpotential of only −7.7 mV to reach the current density of 10 mA cm⁻² and a Tafel slope of −26.3 mV dec⁻¹. The results from this study suggest that the future design of platinum oxide catalysts should strive to maximize the Pt⁴⁺ sites and minimize the formation of the less active Pt²⁺ species.     

The liquid—liquid extraction of platinum in the presence of tin(II) chloride from dilute hydrochloric acid into 4-methyl-2-pentanone

The distribution of complexes of type [Pt(SnCl₃)_nCl_4?n]^2? (n = 1–4) and [Pt(SnCl₃)₅]^3? between 1.5–3.5 M hydrochloric acid and 4-methyl-2-pentanone is discussed in detail. Platinum can be quantitatively extracted into the organic phase from hydrochloric acid solutions containing tin(II) chloride when the mole ratio Sn²⁺: Pt²⁺ > 5. In the presence of sufficient tin(II) chloride, the [Pt(SnCl₃)₅]^3? anion is the predominant species extracted into the organic phase. Similar results pertain to starting solutions of either Ptcl^2?₄ or PtCl^2?₆, although Pt⁴⁺ is rapidly reduced to Pt²⁺. Small amounts of Co²⁺, Ni²⁺, Fe³⁺ and Cu²⁺ do not interfere.     

Cd/Pt Precursor Solution for Solar H2 Production and in situ Photochemical Synthesis of Pt Single-atom Decorated CdS Nanoparticles

Despite extensive efforts to develop high-performance H₂ evolution catalysts, this remains a major challenge. Here, we demonstrate the use of Cd/Pt precursor solutions for significant photocatalytic H₂ production (154.7 mmol g⁻¹ h⁻¹), removing the need for a pre-synthesized photocatalyst. In addition, we also report simultaneous in situ synthesis of Pt single-atoms anchored CdS nanoparticles (Pt_SA-CdS_IS) during photoirradiation. The highly dispersed in situ incorporation of extensive Pt single atoms on CdS_IS enables the enhancement of active sites and suppresses charge recombination, which results in exceptionally high solar-to-hydrogen conversion efficiency of ≈1 % and an apparent quantum yield of over 91 % (365 nm) for H₂ production. Our work not only provides a promising strategy for maximising H₂ production efficiency but also provides a green process for H₂ production and the synthesis of highly photoactive Pt_SA-CdS_IS nanoparticles.     

Optimizing the Size of Platinum Nanoparticles for Enhanced Mass Activity in the Electrochemical Oxygen Reduction Reaction

High oxygen reduction (ORR) activity has been for many years considered as the key to many energy applications. Herein, by combining theory and experiment we prepare Pt nanoparticles with optimal size for the efficient ORR in proton‐exchange‐membrane fuel cells. Optimal nanoparticle sizes are predicted near 1, 2, and 3 nm by computational screening. To corroborate our computational results, we have addressed the challenge of approximately 1 nm sized Pt nanoparticle synthesis with a metal–organic framework (MOF) template approach. The electrocatalyst was characterized by HR‐TEM, XPS, and its ORR activity was measured using a rotating disk electrode setup. The observed mass activities (0.87±0.14 A mg_Pt^?1) are close to the computational prediction (0.99 A mg_Pt^?1). We report the highest to date mass activity among pure Pt catalysts for the ORR within similar size range. The specific and mass activities are twice as high as the Tanaka commercial Pt/C catalysis.     

Observation of the Properties of a Single Unit of a Limited CDW Structure in a PtII/PtIV Host–Guest Binary System Based on a Square‐Shaped Complex

A macrocyclic tetranuclear platinum(II) complex [Pt(en)(4,4′‐bpy)]₄(NO₃)₈ ( 1 ?(NO₃)₈; en=ethylenediamine, 4,4′‐bpy=4,4′‐bipyridine) and a mononuclear platinum(IV) complex [Pt(en)₂Br₂]Br₂ ( 2 ?Br₂) formed two kinds of Pt^II/Pt^IV mixed valence assemblies when reacted: a discrete host–guest complex 1 ? 2 ?Br₁₀ ( 3 ) and an extended 1‐D zigzag sheet 1 ?( 2 )₃?Br₈(NO₃)₆ ( 4 ). Single crystal X‐ray analysis showed that the dimensions of the assemblies could be stoichiometrically controlled. Resonance Raman spectra suggested the presence of an intervalence interaction, which is typically observed for quasi‐1‐D halogen‐bridged M^II/M^IV complexes. The intervalence interaction indicates the presence of an isolated {Pt^II???X? Pt^IV? X???Pt^II} moiety in the structure of 4 . On the basis of electronic spectra and polarized reflectance measurements, we conclude that 4 exhibits intervalence charge transfer (IVCT) bands. A Kramers–Kronig transformation was carried out to obtain an optical conductivity spectrum, and two sub‐bands corresponding to slightly different Pt^II–Pt^IV distances were observed.     

One-step synthesis of porous PtNiCu trimetallic nanoalloy with enhanced electrocatalytic performance toward methanol oxidation

Pt-based alloy nanoporous structures have attracted a lot of attention because of their high activity and stability toward alcohol oxidation reactions. Especially, Pt alloying with Earth-abundant metal can lower the cost of catalyst. Here, we introduce a one-pot approach to synthesize bimetallic PtCu and Ni-doped PtCu nanoalloy with porous structure. The as-synthesized Ni-doped Pt₆₀Ni₃Cu₃₇ nanoalloys exhibit excellent electrocatalytic properties toward methanol oxidation in acidic medium. The mass activity of the as-synthesized Pt₆₀Ni₃Cu₃₇ nanoalloys is 3.6 times and 5.3 times that of Pt₅₅Cu₄₅ nanoalloys and commercial Pt black for methanol oxidation in 0.2?M methanol solution. Besides, the stability of the as-synthesized Pt₆₀Ni₃Cu₃₇ nanoalloys was much better than Pt₅₅Cu₄₅ nanoalloys and commercial Pt black. After 3600?s chronoamperometry test, the remaining values of the Pt₆₀Ni₃Cu₃₇ nanoalloys are 3.7 times and 11.0 times that of Pt₅₅Cu₄₅ nanoalloys and commercial Pt black. And it is the first time to report that small amount of Ni dopants can boost the activity and stability of PtNiCu alloys toward methanol oxidation.     

Platinum‐Containing Polyoxometalates: syn‐ and anti‐[PtII2(α‐PW11O39)2]10− and Formation of the Metal–Metal‐Bonded di‐PtIII Derivatives

The first examples of dimeric, di‐Pt^II‐containing heteropolytungstates are reported. The two isomeric di‐platinum(II)‐containing 22‐tungsto‐2‐phosphates [anti‐Pt^II₂(α‐PW₁₁O₃₉)₂]^10? ( 1 a ) and [syn‐Pt^II₂(α‐PW₁₁O₃₉)₂]^10? ( 2 a ) were synthesized in aqueous pH 3.5 medium using one‐pot procedures. Polyanions 1 a and 2 a contain a core comprising two face‐on PtO₄ units, with a Pt???Pt distance of 2.9–3 Å. Both polyanions were investigated by single‐crystal XRD, IR, TGA, UV/Vis, ³¹P NMR, ESI‐MS, CID‐MS/MS, electrochemistry, and DFT. On the basis of DFT and electrochemistry, we demonstrated that the {Pt₂^II} moiety in 1 a and 2 a can undergo fully reversible two‐electron oxidation to {Pt₂^III}, accompanied by formation of a single Pt?Pt bond. Hence we have discovered the novel subclass of Pt^III‐containing heteropolytungstates.