高指数晶面和梯度组成的PtCu3@Pt3Cu@Pt纳米枝晶氧还原电催化剂性能

燃料电池作为一种清洁、高效的能量转换装置,其大规模应用受到阴极氧还原反应(ORR)动力学缓慢以及铂资源稀缺和价格高昂等的极大制约.尽管研究人员在过去几十年中付出了巨大努力,但研制高效、耐用的低Pt合金催化剂仍亟待突破.近年的研究表明,Pt的一些高指数晶面能够表现出比Pt(111)晶面更高的ORR活性,尤其是Pt(332),Pt(331)和Pt(554)等.同时,合金化能够通过电子与几何效应减弱含氧物种在Pt表面的吸附能,提升Pt合金催化剂的ORR活性.因此,高指数晶面和合金化的结合将是设计开发高性能电催化剂的有效手段.本文提出一种气氛调控的液相合成方法,通过在油胺中加热还原Pt化合物和Cu化合物,不添加其它保护剂,仅通过反应气氛的调控,成功制备了不同形貌的Pt-Cu合金纳米结构(纳米多脚、纳米凹立方体、纳米枝晶).通过反应前期引入氧化性气氛随后切换为惰性气氛的调控策略,合成具有高指数晶面的具有纳米枝晶结构的PtCu3合金;进一步对其进行电化学去合金化形成富Pt壳层,既保持其纳米枝晶形貌和高指数晶面,又形成具有梯度组成的PtCu₃@Pt₃Cu@Pt纳米枝晶.相比而言,全程惰性气氛下生长得到纳米多脚结构,全程氧化性气氛下生长则得到纳米凹立方体.电化学测试结果表明,在0.1 M HClO4电解液中,PtCu₃@Pt₃Cu@Pt纳米枝晶展现出较高的ORR活性,在0.9 V(vs.RHE)处的Pt质量活性和面积活性高达1.55 A mgPt^-1和2.4 mA cmPt^-2,分别为商业Pt/C催化剂的14倍和24倍;此外,PtCu₃@Pt₃Cu@Pt纳米枝晶具有良好的电化学稳定性能,经0.7~1.1 V(vs.RHE)电势范围内循环5000圈,其催化活性保持稳定.DFT计算表明,Cu合金效应和高指数晶面结构共同增强了Pt的ORR活性,其中PtCu₃@Pt₃Cu@Pt纳米枝晶高指数晶面台阶位点的氧结合能接近最优值,从而表现出火山顶点附近的ORR活性.     

电催化剂设计中表面和界面工程的最新进展（英文）

电催化已发展为一种涉及电化学、表面科学、材料科学和催化科学等众多科学分支的交叉学科和综合技术,在工农业生产、经济和国防建设、能源开发和环境保护等方面发挥了不可或缺的作用.金属纳米催化剂的可控合成和创新构建,极大地推动了电催化的广泛应用和巨大进展.过渡金属尤其是贵金属Pt、Pd等电催化剂,在电催化中表现出良好的选择性、活性和稳定性,很难完全被其他材料所取代.制约电催化可持续发展的瓶颈问题是,如何设计、合成和构建高性能低成本的金属纳米催化剂.为实现这一目标,人们付出了大量的努力并取得了一些可喜的进展.电催化是发生在电解质与电极材料表面和界面的异相催化反应,金属纳米电催化剂的性能与其形貌、结构、尺寸和组成相关.本文着力总结和探讨如何从表面工程和界面工程角度设计、合成和构筑金属纳米结构及其复合结构,以实现金属电催化剂性能和成本的双优化.本文提出了在金属纳米结构及其复合结构的设计、合成和构筑过程中需要考虑的几个重要的表面和界面因素,即表面面积、表面晶面、活性位点和界面结构等.首先,有效表面面积越大,越有利于电催化反应.我们总结了增大催化剂有效活性面积的四种有效方法,包括减小颗粒尺寸、制成薄层二维纳米结构、增大粗糙度、形成中空、多孔或介孔及框架结构等.其次,表面晶面也可决定电催化的性能.我们简单总结了低指数晶面和高指数晶面在表面能、晶面形成和催化活性上的"挑战与机遇"矛盾关系,并简要阐述了晶面选择性即晶面效应以及晶面与尺寸的依赖关系.再次,活性位点一般指的是低配位表面原子位点,是电催化反应的决定因素之一.我们描述了活性位点与表面和界面结构特征、纳米晶表面晶面、表面缺陷和空穴、表面面积和粒子尺寸等的依赖关系.最后,界面结构工程是调控电催化性能的最丰稔因素.我们简述了界面结构的形成、分类及其对优化界面活性位点的成分和几何结构、表面悬键和原子配位数、电子结构与电子传递、质子传输和物种交换等方面调控作用,并在界面工程的基础上推介了贵金属基复合结构的合成、组装的几种典型方式.本文以具体示例的形式,分别从表面工程和界面工程的角度,扼要介绍了本课题组最近在甲酸氧化、氧还原、析氢等电催化反应体系中贵金属基纳米结构及其复合纳米结构电催化剂的设计、合成与构筑的具体做法.我们分别介绍了低指数晶面和高指数晶面的表面设计对于提高催化剂性能的关键作用.对于低指数晶面,我们重点介绍了如何获得相似尺寸的不同表面晶面以研究其晶面效应,如何维持相同晶面调节尺寸以研究其尺寸效应,如何建造与电极有良好电学接触的低指数晶面纳米结构,以利于提升其电催化性能.对于高指数晶面,介绍了几种形成高指数晶面的途径,并阐明了其晶面对电催化性能的影响.另一方面,我们从金属纳米结构及其复合结构的成分和结构调控策略介绍了界面构建对于提升电催化性能的奇妙作用,包括建造多金属纳米结构、与二维材料负载组装和利用界面极化.由此,本文总结了表面和界面工程对于电催化剂设计、合成和构筑目前面临的三个关键挑战.     

电催化剂设计中表面和界面工程的最新进展

电催化已发展为一种涉及电化学、表面科学、材料科学和催化科学等众多科学分支的交叉学科和综合技术,在工农业生产、经济和国防建设、能源开发和环境保护等方面发挥了不可或缺的作用。金属纳米催化剂的可控合成和创新构建,极大地推动了电催化的广泛应用和巨大进展。过渡金属尤其是贵金属Pt、Pd等电催化剂,在电催化中表现出良好的选择性、活性和稳定性,很难完全被其他材料所取代。制约电催化可持续发展的瓶颈问题是,如何设计、合成和构建高性能低成本的金属纳米催化剂。为实现这一目标,人们付出了大量的努力并取得了一些可喜的进展。电催化是发生在电解质与电极材料表面和界面的异相催化反应,金属纳米电催化剂的性能与其形貌、结构、尺寸和组成相关。本文着力总结和探讨如何从表面工程和界面工程角度设计、合成和构筑金属纳米结构及其复合结构,以实现金属电催化剂性能和成本的双优化。本文提出了在金属纳米结构及其复合结构的设计、合成和构筑过程中需要考虑的几个重要的表面和界面因素,即表面面积、表面晶面、活性位点和界面结构等。首先,有效表面面积越大,越有利于电催化反应。我们总结了增大催化剂有效活性面积的四种有效方法,包括减小颗粒尺寸、制成薄层二维纳米结构、增大粗糙度、形成中空、多孔或介孔及框架结构等。其次,表面晶面也可决定电催化的性能。我们简单总结了低指数晶面和高指数晶面在表面能、晶面形成和催化活性上的“挑战与机遇”矛盾关系,并简要阐述了晶面选择性即晶面效应以及晶面与尺寸的依赖关系。再次,活性位点一般指的是低配位表面原子位点,是电催化反应的决定因素之一。我们描述了活性位点与表面和界面结构特征、纳米晶表面晶面、表面缺陷和空穴、表面面积和粒子尺寸等的依赖关系。最后,界面结构工程是调控电催化性能的最丰稔因素。我们简述了界面结构的形成、分类及其对优化界面活性位点的成分和几何结构、表面悬键和原子配位数、电子结构与电子传递、质子传输和物种交换等方面调控作用,并在界面工程的基础上推介了贵金属基复合结构的合成、组装的几种典型方式。本文以具体示例的形式,分别从表面工程和界面工程的角度,扼要介绍了本课题组最近在甲酸氧化、氧还原、析氢等电催化反应体系中贵金属基纳米结构及其复合纳米结构电催化剂的设计、合成与构筑的具体做法。我们分别介绍了低指数晶面和高指数晶面的表面设计对于提高催化剂性能的关键作用。对于低指数晶面,我们重点介绍了如何获得相似尺寸的不同表面晶面以研究其晶面效应,如何维持相同晶面调节尺寸以研究其尺寸效应,如何建造与电极有良好电学接触的低指数晶面纳米结构,以利于提升其电催化性能。对于高指数晶面,介绍了几种形成高指数晶面的途径,并阐明了其晶面对电催化性能的影响。另一方面,我们从金属纳米结构及其复合结构的成分和结构调控策略介绍了界面构建对于提升电催化性能的奇妙作用,包括建造多金属纳米结构、与二维材料负载组装和利用界面极化。由此,本文总结了表面和界面工程对于电催化剂设计、合成和构筑目前面临的三个关键挑战。     

高指数晶面裸露的贵金属纳米晶体的合成

由于在高指数晶面上存在高密度的台阶位、扭结位原子等,高指数晶面裸露的贵金属纳米晶体一般表现出优越的物理化学性能,在催化、电化学等方面都有很重要的应用前景．近年来,研究人员围绕高指数晶面的制备进行了大量的工作并取得了一定进展．本文重点从合成制备方法的角度出发,结合本课题组的相关研究,系统总结了现有的有关制备高指数晶面裸露的贵金属纳米晶体的一些最新研究成果．从电化学方法、“帽”式试剂保护法、欠电位沉积原子层保护法、动力学调控、氧化刻蚀溶解再生长法以及模板法等几个方面对现有的高指数晶面裸露的贵金属纳米晶体的制备进行了总结．     

电位置换反应在空心结构Pt基燃料电池纳米催化剂中的研究进展

Pt基催化剂是质子交换膜燃料电池难以替代的催化剂,然而低储量高成本的Pt严重制约其商业化进程。如何在减少贵金属Pt用量的同时提高其电催化性能是该领域的核心问题之一。空心结构纳米催化剂活性面积大,催化活性高,稳定性好且显著减少贵金属的用量,其制备方法众多,其中电位置换法无需额外的去核、无需对模板表面进行功能化且易于控制,是制备空心结构纳米材料的主要方法。本文综述了近年来国内外利用电位置换反应制备空心Pt基纳米催化剂的最新进展,并对其发展和应用前景进行了展望。     

棒状CeO_2负载Pt催化剂的合成及其电化学性能研究

通过水热法合成棒状纳米Ce O2(Ce O2-R),并将Pt纳米颗粒负载于Ce O2表面,制得甲醇燃料电池的阳极催化剂Pt/Ce O2-R.通过结构与形貌表征,结果表明,Pt/Ce O2-R中Ce O2的暴露晶面为(111)和(002)晶面,改变了Pt周围的电子结构,进而降低了Pt-COads的键能,释放出更多的活性位.另外,Pt纳米颗粒在Ce O2-R表面分散更均匀.利用电化学工作站测试阳极催化剂Pt/Ce O2-R在酸性溶液中的电化学性能,证明Pt/Ce O2-R催化剂的甲醇电氧化性能与抗CO毒害能力较颗粒状Ce O2负载Pt催化剂(Pt/Ce O2-P)都有很大的提高,证明Ce O2-R作为Pt纳米颗粒的载体用于直接甲醇燃料电池的阳极反应具有发展潜力.     

Ru修饰Pd二十四面体纳米晶的合成及其甲醇电催化氧化性能

表面结构控制和表面异种金属修饰是调控催化剂反应性的重要方法。因此,我们结合高指数晶面结构的高反应性与表面修饰异种金属,合成具有{730}高指数晶面的钯二十四面体纳米晶,并通过循环伏安扫描电沉积法得到Ru修饰的钯二十四面体纳米晶。电化学测试结果表明,低的Ru覆盖度(θ_(Ru)=0.08)可显著提高对碱性介质中甲醇电氧化的催化性能。电化学原位红外光谱结果表明,少量Ru的修饰没有减少CO的生成,而是促进了低电位下甲醇氧化成甲酸根。     

利用MOF-253衍生氮掺杂碳限域效应促进Pt纳米单晶电催化剂的氧析出反应

目前,为了有效解决电化学能量转化反应动力学过程缓慢和商业化应用等问题,需要大力提高催化剂的电催化活性和稳定性,并大幅降低贵金属催化剂的用量.通常,铂(Pt)基催化剂对燃料电池的氧还原反应(ORR)和水电解过程的氢析出反应(HER)表现出很高的活性.然而,对于高效的金属-空气电池和水电解装置,其中的氧析出反应(OER)则需要高活性的非Pt电催化剂来降低电化学过电位及提高其对高电位的耐受性.虽然相较于Pt催化剂,IrO2和RuO2等贵金属催化剂表现出了更高的OER活性,然而,它们的稳定性差,难以满足实际应用需求,严重阻碍了其在金属-空气电池和水电解中的应用.通常,Pt对OER的低效催化主要归因于在OER电催化过程中Pt与电解液直接接触,导致Pt表面快速被氧化,形成Pt氧化物(Pt^+4O2和Pt^+2O)层.形成的Pt氧化物对OER不起催化作用,从而降低了Pt的利用率和总的水电解效率.为了避免Pt表面的快速氧化,实现高的OER性能,我们将Pt金属纳米粒子有效地限域在超薄功能多孔碳层内.前期,已有大量的有关金属基ORR和HER催化剂研究证明,这种策略对于稳定金属纳米颗粒非常有效,可有效避免金属催化剂的快速氧化,而且还可抑制金属颗粒迁移和团聚;此外,还有利于增强催化剂的导电性和离子物种的扩散能力,从而提高催化剂的电催化性能.然而,要达到提高金属催化剂OER电催化性能的目的,还需要设计一种具有优良结构的功能化异质原子掺杂多孔碳基限域材料.金属有机框架(MOF),特别是MOF-253,由于具有较高的柔韧性、丰富的孔、可控的几何结构和高比表面积,被认为是制备功能多孔碳基限域材料的理想前驱体.为此,通过结合功能多孔碳基材料的限域作用及MOF-253和超细Pt纳米单晶的优势,本文合成了MOF-253衍生氮掺杂碳(N/C)限域的Pt纳米单晶(Pt@N/C)核壳型电催化剂.制备的Pt-N-C框架不仅具有超薄的氮掺杂活性多孔碳保护层壳体(平均厚度为0.51 nm),还有具高度分散和稳定化的Pt纳米单晶核体;值得指出的是,因受到碳层的限域作用,即使经900℃的高温处理,Pt纳米单晶仍保持了较小的晶体尺寸(平均粒径仅为6.7 nm);此外,该催化剂的Pt载量较低,仅为6.1wt%(Pt@N/C-10).将其作为OER电催化剂,表现出优异的OER性能:在10 mA cm^-2电流密度下,其过电位仅为298 mV,低于商业IrO2催化剂(353 mV);而且,经2000周加速电位扫描后,其电位仅降低19.4 mV,也低于IrO2(23.3 mV).本文很好地证明了通过构建空间限域结构可以有效解决Pt等金属催化剂因表面氧化而导致OER动力学活性和稳定性低的问题.     

利用MOF-253衍生氮掺杂碳限域效应促进Pt纳米单晶电催化剂的氧析出反应（英文）

目前,为了有效解决电化学能量转化反应动力学过程缓慢和商业化应用等问题,需要大力提高催化剂的电催化活性和稳定性,并大幅降低贵金属催化剂的用量.通常,铂(Pt)基催化剂对燃料电池的氧还原反应(ORR)和水电解过程的氢析出反应(HER)表现出很高的活性.然而,对于高效的金属-空气电池和水电解装置,其中的氧析出反应(OER)则需要高活性的非Pt电催化剂来降低电化学过电位及提高其对高电位的耐受性.虽然相较于Pt催化剂,IrO_2和RuO_2等贵金属催化剂表现出了更高的OER活性,然而,它们的稳定性差,难以满足实际应用需求,严重阻碍了其在金属-空气电池和水电解中的应用.通常,Pt对OER的低效催化主要归因于在OER电催化过程中Pt与电解液直接接触,导致Pt表面快速被氧化,形成Pt氧化物(Pt~(+4)O_2和Pt~(+2)O)层.形成的Pt氧化物对OER不起催化作用,从而降低了Pt的利用率和总的水电解效率.为了避免Pt表面的快速氧化,实现高的OER性能,我们将Pt金属纳米粒子有效地限域在超薄功能多孔碳层内.前期,已有大量的有关金属基ORR和HER催化剂研究证明,这种策略对于稳定金属纳米颗粒非常有效,可有效避免金属催化剂的快速氧化,而且还可抑制金属颗粒迁移和团聚;此外,还有利于增强催化剂的导电性和离子物种的扩散能力,从而提高催化剂的电催化性能.然而,要达到提高金属催化剂OER电催化性能的目的,还需要设计一种具有优良结构的功能化异质原子掺杂多孔碳基限域材料.金属有机框架(MOF),特别是MOF-253,由于具有较高的柔韧性、丰富的孔、可控的几何结构和高比表面积,被认为是制备功能多孔碳基限域材料的理想前驱体.为此,通过结合功能多孔碳基材料的限域作用及MOF-253和超细Pt纳米单晶的优势,本文合成了MOF-253衍生氮掺杂碳(N/C)限域的Pt纳米单晶(Pt@N/C)核壳型电催化剂.制备的Pt-N-C框架不仅具有超薄的氮掺杂活性多孔碳保护层壳体(平均厚度为0.51 nm),还有具高度分散和稳定化的Pt纳米单晶核体;值得指出的是,因受到碳层的限域作用,即使经900℃的高温处理,Pt纳米单晶仍保持了较小的晶体尺寸(平均粒径仅为6.7 nm);此外,该催化剂的Pt载量较低,仅为6.1wt%(Pt@N/C-10).将其作为OER电催化剂,表现出优异的OER性能:在10 mA cm~(-2)电流密度下,其过电位仅为298 mV,低于商业IrO_2催化剂(353 mV);而且,经2000周加速电位扫描后,其电位仅降低19.4 mV,也低于IrO_2(23.3 mV).本文很好地证明了通过构建空间限域结构可以有效解决Pt等金属催化剂因表面氧化而导致OER动力学活性和稳定性低的问题.     

基于超重力技术开展Co-N-CNTs催化剂制备及其氧还原性能的研究

开发高效的非贵金属氧还原(ORR)催化剂是促进燃料电池商业化进程的关键。本研究利用超重力技术制备了一种优良的非贵金属ORR催化剂Co-N-CNTs。物理表征表明,通过超重力技术可以使作为活性位点的金属Co纳米颗粒均匀分布在Co-N-CNTs催化剂表面,X射线光电子能谱(XPS)揭示Co-N-CNTs催化剂中的N元素不仅可以和碳纳米管(CNTs)中的C元素形成吡咯氮和石墨氮,还可以形成具有更高氧还原活性的吡啶氮结构。电化学测试结果表明,通过超重力技术制备的Co-N-CNTs催化剂的起始电位和半波电位与商业Pt/C催化剂相当;而且,Co-N-CNTs催化剂展现出优良的抗甲醇性能。     

Synthesis of nanocrystals with variable high-index Pd facets through the controlled heteroepitaxial growth of trisoctahedral Au templates

The shape-controlled synthesis of noble metal nanocrystals (NCs) bounded by high-index facets is a current research interest because the products have the potential of significantly improving the catalytic performance of NCs in industrially important reactions. This study reports a versatile method for synthesizing polyhedral NCs enclosed by a variety of high-index Pd facets. The method is based on the heteroepitaxial growth of Pd layers on concave trisoctahedral (TOH) gold NC seeds under careful control of the growth kinetics. Polyhedral Au@Pd NCs with three different classes of high-index facets, including concave TOH NCs with {hhl} facets, concave hexoctahedral (HOH) NCs with {hkl} facets, and tetrahexahedral (THH) NCs with {hk0} facets, can be formed in high yield. The Miller indices of NCs are also modifiable, and we have used the THH NCs as a demonstrative example. The catalytic activities of these NCs were evaluated by the structure-sensitive reaction of formic acid electro-oxidation. The results showed that the high-index facets are generally more active than the low-index facets. In summary, a seeded growth process based on concave high-index faceted monometallic TOH NC templates and careful control of the growth kinetics is a simple and effective strategy for the synthesis of noble metal NCs with high-index facets. It also offers tailorability of the surface structure in shape-controlled synthesis.     

Amine-assisted synthesis of concave polyhedral platinum nanocrystals having {411} high-index facets

High-index surfaces of a face-centered cubic metal (e.g., Pd, Pt) have a high density of low-coordinated surface atoms and therefore possess enhanced catalysis activity in comparison with low-index faces. However, because of their high surface energy, the challenge of chemically preparing metal nanocrystals having high-index facets remains. We demonstrate in this work that introducing amines as the surface controller allows concave Pt nanocrystals having {411} high-index facets to be prepared through a facile wet-chemical route. The as-prepared Pt nanocrystals display a unique octapod morphology with {411} facets. The presence of high-index {411} exposed facets endows the concave Pt nanocrystals with excellent electrocatalytic activity in the oxidation of both formic acid and ethanol.     

Heteroepitaxial growth of high-index-faceted palladium nanoshells and their catalytic performance

The development of high-performance nanocatalysts relies essentially on the generation of stable and active surface sites at the atomic scale through synthetic control of the size, shape, and chemical composition of nanoscale metals and metal oxides. One promising route is to induce the exposure of catalytically active high-index facets of nanostructures through shape-controlled syntheses. We have designed and prepared two types of Pd nanoshells that are enclosed by high-index {730} and {221} facets through heteroepitaxial growth on high-index-faceted Au nanocrystals. The turnover numbers per surface atom of the high-index-faceted Pd nanoshells have been found to be 3-7 times those of Pd and Au-Pd core-shell nanocubes that possess only {100} facets in catalyzing the Suzuki coupling reaction. These results open up a potential for the development of inexpensive and highly active metal nanocatalysts.     

钯纳米晶体在电催化甲酸氧化反应中的形貌效应

本文基于课题组前期工作,选用适当的金属前驱物、还原剂、稳定剂和保护剂,通过调控氧化刻蚀和反应动力学等,成功合成了形貌和尺寸均不相同的Pd纳米晶.经过认真的纳米粒子清洗和电极修饰组装,考察了它们在电催化甲酸氧化反应中的形貌与性能的关系.研究结果表明,Pd纳米晶样品的最大电流密度以纳米八面体（nanooctahedra）、纳米线（nanowires）、纳米立方体（nanocubes）、纳米瓜子（nanotapers）、凹面纳米立方体（concave nanocubes）的顺序递增,催化甲酸氧化反应的起始氧化电位均小于0.2V.研究结果印证了Pd纳米晶催化甲酸氧化反应的催化性能在尺寸效应上主要受活性表面积的影响,扣除表面积效应后的催化性能与其尺寸没有明确关系.该系列Pd纳米晶的催化性能主要取决于其表面结构,得出Pd纳米晶催化甲酸氧化反应遵循{111}晶面〈{100}晶面〈高指数晶面的性能活性顺序.综合最大电流密度和最小操作电位因素发现,Pd凹面纳米立方体和Pd纳米瓜子具有相对较好的商用价值.     

Synthesis of Pd-Pt bimetallic nanocrystals with a concave structure through a bromide-induced galvanic replacement reaction

This article describes a systematic study of the galvanic replacement reaction between PtCl(6)(2-) ions and Pd nanocrystals with different shapes, including cubes, cuboctahedrons, and octahedrons. It was found that Br(-) ions played an important role in initiating, facilitating, and directing the replacement reaction. The presence of Br(-) ions led to the selective initiation of galvanic replacement from the {100} facets of Pd nanocrystals, likely due to the preferential adsorption of Br(-) ions on this crystallographic plane. The site-selective galvanic replacement resulted in the formation of Pd-Pt bimetallic nanocrystals with a concave structure owing to simultaneous dissolution of Pd atoms from the {100} facets and deposition of the resultant Pt atoms on the {111} facets. The Pd-Pt concave nanocubes with different weight percentages of Pt at 3.4, 10.4, 19.9, and 34.4 were also evaluated as electrocatalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). Significantly, the sample with a 3.4 wt.% of Pt exhibited the largest specific electrochemical surface area and was found to be four times as active as the commercial Pt/C catalyst for the ORR in terms of equivalent Pt mass.     

Facet-dependent antibacterial activity of Au nanocrystals

Engineered nanomaterials have attracted significantly attention as one of the most promising antimicrobial agents for against multidrug resistant infections. The toxicological responses of nanomaterials are closely related to their physicochemical properties, and establishment of a structure-activity relationship for nanomaterials at the nano-bio interface is of great significance for deep understanding antibacterial toxicity mechanisms of nanomaterials and designing safer antibacterial nanomaterials. In this study, the antibacterial behaviors of well-defined crystallographic facets of a series of Au nanocrystals, including {100}-facet cubes, {110}-facet rhombic dodecahedra, {111}-facet octahedra, {221}-facet trisoctahedra and {720}-facet concave cubes, was investigated, using the model bacteria Staphylococcus aureus. We find that Au nanocrystals display substantial facet-dependent antibacterial activities. The low-index facets of cubes, octahedra, and rhombic dodecahedra show considerable antibacterial activity, whereas the high-index facets of trisoctahedra and concave cubes remained inert under biological conditions. This result is in stark contrast to the previous paradigm that the high-index facets were considered to have higher bioactivity as compared with low-index facets. The antibacterial mechanism studies have shown that the facet-dependent antibacterial behaviors of Au nanocrystals are mainly caused by differential bacterial membrane damage as well as inhibition of cellular enzymatic activity and energy metabolism. The faceted Au nanocrystals are unique in that they do not induce generation of reactive oxygen species, as validated for most antibiotics and antimicrobial nanostructures. Our findings may provide a deeper understanding of facet-dependent toxicological responses and suggest the complexities of the nanomaterial-cell interactions, shedding some light on the development of high performance Au nanomaterials-based antibacterial therapeutics.     

Facet-dependent antibacterial activity of Au nanocrystals

Engineered nanomaterials have attracted significantly attention as one of the most promising antimicrobial agents for against multidrug resistant infections. The toxicological responses of nanomaterials are closely related to their physicochemical properties, and establishment of a structure-activity relationship for nanomaterials at the nano-bio interface is of great significance for deep understanding antibacterial toxicity mechanisms of nanomaterials and designing safer antibacterial nanomaterials. In this study, the antibacterial behaviors of well-defined crystallographic facets of a series of Au nanocrystals, including {100}-facet cubes, {110}-facet rhombic dodecahedra, {111}-facet octahedra, {221}-facet trisoctahedra and {720}-facet concave cubes, was investigated, using the model bacteria Staphylococcus aureus. We find that Au nanocrystals display substantial facet-dependent antibacterial activities. The low-index facets of cubes, octahedra, and rhombic dodecahedra show considerable antibacterial activity, whereas the high-index facets of trisoctahedra and concave cubes remained inert under biological conditions. This result is in stark contrast to the previous paradigm that the high-index facets were considered to have higher bioactivity as compared with low-index facets. The antibacterial mechanism studies have shown that the facet-dependent antibacterial behaviors of Au nanocrystals are mainly caused by differential bacterial membrane damage as well as inhibition of cellular enzymatic activity and energy metabolism. The faceted Au nanocrystals are unique in that they do not induce generation of reactive oxygen species, as validated for most antibiotics and antimicrobial nanostructures. Our findings may provide a deeper understanding of facet-dependent toxicological responses and suggest the complexities of the nanomaterial-cell interactions, shedding some light on the development of high performance Au nanomaterials-based antibacterial therapeutics.     

Cu(2+)-assisted synthesis of hexoctahedral Au-Pd alloy nanocrystals with high-index facets

Controlled syntheses of multicomponent metal nanocrystals (NCs) and high-index surfaces have attracted increasing attention due to the specific physical and chemical properties of such NCs. Taking advantage of copper underpotential deposition as a bridge, hexoctahedral Au-Pd alloy NCs with {hkl} facets exposed were successfully synthesized, while phase separation occurred in the absence of Cu(2+) ions. The as-prepared hexoctahedral Au-Pd alloy NCs exhibited very excellent performance in terms of both formic acid electro-oxidation and methanol tolerance due to synergism between the high-index facets and the alloy.     

The Origin of Shape Sensitivity in Palladium‐Catalyzed Suzuki–Miyaura Cross Coupling Reactions

The shape sensitivity of Pd catalysts in Suzuki–Miyaura coupling reactions is studied using nanocrystals enclosed by well‐defined surface facets. The catalytic performance of Pd nanocrystals with cubic, cuboctahedral and octahedral morphologies are compared. Superior catalytic reactivity is observed for Pd NCs with {100} surface facets compared to {111} facets. The origin of the enhanced reactivity associated with a cubic morphology is related to the leaching susceptibility of the nanocrystals. Molecular oxygen plays a key role in facilitating the leaching of Pd atoms from the surface of the nanocrystals. The interaction of O₂ with Pd is itself facet‐dependent, which in turn gives rise to more efficient leaching from {100} facets, compared to {111} facets under the reaction conditions.     

Enhancing the Photocatalytic Activity of Anatase TiO2 by Improving the Specific Facet‐Induced Spontaneous Separation of Photogenerated Electrons and Holes

Recently, it has been proven that directional flow of photogenerated charge carriers occurs on specific facets of TiO₂ nanocrystals. Herein, we demonstrate that the photocatalytic activity of anatase TiO₂ nanocrystals in both photoreduction and photooxidation processes can be enhanced by selectively depositing Pt nanoparticles on the {101} facets, which strengthens spontaneously surface‐induced separation between photogenerated electrons and holes in the photocatalysis process. An optimal ratio of the oxidative {001} facets to the reductive {101} facets exists with regard to the photocatalysis of the faceted TiO₂ nanocrystals, and this is crucial for balancing the recombination and redox reaction rates of photogenerated electrons and holes. The present work might help us gain deeper insight into the relation between the specific surface of semiconductor photocatalysts and their photocatalytic activities and provides us with a new route to design photocatalysts with high photocatalytic activity.