Pt and Ru X-ray absorption spectroscopy of PtRu anode catalysts in operating direct methanol fuel cells

In situ X-ray absorption spectroscopy, ex situ X-ray fluorescence, and X-ray powder diffraction enabled detailed core analysis of phase segregated nanostructured PtRu anode catalysts in an operating direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC). No change in the core structures of the phase segregated catalyst was observed as the potential traversed the current onset potential of the DMFC. The methodology was exemplified using a Johnson Matthey unsupported PtRu (1:1) anode catalyst incorporated into a DMFC membrane electrode assembly. During DMFC operation the catalyst is essentially metallic with half of the Ru incorporated into a face-centered cubic (FCC) Pt alloy lattice and the remaining half in an amorphous phase. The extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) analysis suggests that the FCC lattice is not fully disordered. The EXAFS indicates that the Ru-O bond lengths were significantly shorter than those reported for Ru-O of ruthenium oxides, suggesting that the phases in which the Ru resides in the catalysts are not similar to oxides.     

直接甲醇燃料电池阳极催化剂PtRu/C的制备和表征

用三种方法制备了PtRu/C[Pt和Ru质量分数分别为20％和10％,记为PtRu/C(20％-10％)]甲醇阳极催化剂,通过X射线衍射(XRD)和透射电镜(TEM)考察了PtRu/C催化剂的粒子大小和晶格参数的变化,利用单电池实验考察了催化剂在直接甲醇燃料电池中的催化活性.结果表明,改变溶剂的组成提高了贵金属在活性炭表面的分散度,并改善了PtRu间的相互作用,用乙二醇/水/异丙醇混合溶剂制备的PtRu催化剂金属颗粒较小,PtRu间的相互作用较强,以该催化剂作甲醇阳极的直接甲醇燃料电池的性能较好.     

PtRu/Ti anodes with varying Pt ratio: Ru ratio prepared by electrodeposition for the direct methanol fuel cell

PtRu/Ti anodes with varying Pt ratio Ru ratio were prepared by electrodeposition of a thin PtRu catalyst layer onto Ti mesh for a direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC). The morphology and structure of the catalyst layers were analyzed by SEM, EDX and XRD. The catalyst coating layer shows an alloy character. The relative activities of the PtRu/Ti electrodes were assessed and compared in half cell and single DMFC experiments. The results show that these electrodes are very active for the methanol oxidation and that the optimum Ru surface coverage was ca. 9 at.% for DMFC operating at 20 degrees C and 11 at.% at 60 degrees C. The PtRu/Ti anode shows a performance comparable to that of the conventional carbon-based anode in a DMFC operating with 0.25 M or 0.5 M methanol solution and atmosphere oxygen gas at 90 degrees C.     

高负载率纳米Pt-Ru/C催化剂的制备和表征

以Vulcan XC-72R碳黑为载体, 通过在含十二烷基硫酸钠(SDS)的乙二醇溶液中直接还原氯铂酸和三氯化钌, 制备了负载率为60%的纳米PtRu/C催化剂. 透射电镜(TEM)和X射线衍射(XRD)分析结果表明, SDS的加入可显著改善PtRu纳米颗粒在载体表面分散性, 平均粒径达到2.7 nm. 电化学循环伏安法(CV)测试的结果显示, 利用这种方法制备的纳米PtRu/C催化剂对于甲醇氧化具有较强的抗中毒能力和较高的电催化活性.     

Size-selected synthesis of PtRu nano-catalysts: reaction and size control mechanism

A rapid synthesis method for the preparation of PtRu colloids and their subsequent deposition on high surface area carbons is presented. The reaction mechanism is shown to involve the oxidation of the solvent, ethylene glycol, to mainly glycolic acid or, depending on the pH, its anion, glycolate, while the Pt(+IV) and Ru(+III) precursor salts are reduced. Glycolate acts as a stabilizer for the PtRu colloids and the glycolate concentration, and hence the size of the resulting noble metal colloids is controlled via the pH of the synthesis solution. Carbon-supported PtRu catalysts of controlled size can be prepared within the range of 0.7-4 nm. Slow scan X-ray diffraction and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy show the PtRu catalysts to be crystalline. The Ru is partly dissolved in the face-centered cubic Pt lattice, but the catalysts also consist of a separate, hexagonal Ru phase. The PtRu catalysts appear to be of the same composition independent of the catalyst size in the range of 1.2-4 nm. Particular PtRu catalysts prepared in this work display enhanced activities for the CH(3)OH electro-oxidation reaction when compared to two commercial catalysts.     

Synthesis of PtRu nanoparticles from the hydrosilylation reaction and application as catalyst for direct methanol fuel cell

Nanosized Pt, PtRu, and Ru particles were prepared by a novel process, the hydrosilylation reaction. The hydrosilylation reaction is an effective method of preparation not only for Pt particles but also for other metal colloids, such as Ru. Vulcan XC-72 was selected as catalyst support for Pt, PtRu, and Ru colloids, and TEM investigations showed nanoscale particles and narrow size distribution for both supported and unsupported metals. All Pt and Pt-rich catalysts showed the X-ray diffraction pattern of a face-centered cubic (fcc) crystal structure, whereas the Ru and Ru-rich alloys were more typical of a hexagonal close-packed (hcp) structure. As evidenced by XPS, most Pt and Ru atoms in the nanoparticles were zerovalent, except a trace of oxidation-state metals. The electrooxidation of liquid methanol on these catalysts was investigated at room temperature by cyclic voltammetry and chronoamperometry. The results concluded that some alloy catalysts showed higher catalytic activities and better CO tolerance than the Pt-only catalyst; Pt56Ru44/C have displayed the best electrocatalytic performance among all carbon-supported catalysts.     

Nanostructured PtRu/C as anode catalysts prepared in a pseudomicroemulsion with ionic surfactant for direct methanol fuel cell

Nanostructured PtRu/C catalysts have been prepared from a water-in-oil pseudomicroemulsion with the aqueous phase of a mixed concentrated solution of H(2)PtCl(6), RuCl(3), and carbon powder, oil phase of cyclohexane, ionic surfactant of sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate (C(18)H(29)NaO(3)S), and cosurfactant n-butanol (C(4)H(10)O). Two different composing PtRu/C nanocatalysts (catalyst 1, Pt 20 wt %, Ru 15 wt %; catalyst 2, Pt 20 wt %, Ru 10 wt %) were synthesized. The catalysts were characterized by transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffractometry, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and thermogravimetric analysis, and the particles were found to be nanosized (2-4 nm) and inherit the Pt face-centered cubic structure with Pt and Ru mainly in the zero valance oxidation state. The ruthenium oxide and hydrous ruthenium oxide (RuO(x)()H(y)()) were also found in these catalysts. The cyclic voltammograms (CVs) and chronoamperometries for methanol oxidation on these catalysts showed that catalyst 1 with a higher Ru content (15 wt %) has a higher and more durable electrocatalytic activity to methanol oxidation than catalyst 2 with low Ru content (10 wt %). The CV results for catalysts 1 and 2 strongly support the bifunctional mechanism of PtRu/C catalysts for methanol oxidation. The data from direct methanol single cells using these two PtRu/C as anode catalysts show the cell with catalyst 1 has higher open circuit voltage (OCV = 0.75 V) and maximal power density (78 mW/cm(2)) than that with catalyst 2 (OCV = 0.70 V, P(max) = 56 mW/cm(2)) at 80 degrees C.     

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.     

碳载Pt和PtRu催化剂的甲醇电氧化比较

利用电化学方法对商用Pt/C和PtRu/C催化剂在酸性介质中的甲醇电氧化进行了比较研究.动电位和恒电位氧化实验结果皆表明PtRu/C比Pt/C对甲醇电催化活性高.PtRu合金的形成不仅改变了催化剂表面对氢的吸附性质,而且使氧化物还原峰电位向阴极方向移动.Ru与甲醇的相互作用为温度活化过程,需要较高的温度.     

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.     

Fabrication of PtRu/Ru core–shell nanowires by exchanging Ru phases

In this study, we successfully fabricated PtRu/Ru core–shell nanowires (NWs) prepared from as-spun Ru/Pt core–shell NWs via a co-electrospinning method. Their formation mechanism together with the structural characteristics, morphology, and composition of the resulting PtRu/Ru core–shell NWs was elucidated by means of scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). PtRu/Ru core–shell NWs fabricated from as-spun Ru/Pt core–shell NWs were formed as a result of interdiffusion between Ru atoms and Pt atoms during calcination after co-electrospinning.     

PtRu/C电催化剂上甲醇吸附氧化过程的电化学原位红外光谱

采用调变的多元醇法制备了高分散的Pt/C, PtRu/C和Ru/C电催化剂. XRD计算结果表明, PtRu/C电催化剂的平均粒径和合金度分别为2.2 nm和71%. 采用电化学方法和原位傅里叶变换红外反射光谱方法(in situ FTIRS)研究了甲醇在3种电催化剂上的吸附氧化过程, 发现PtRu/C对甲醇的催化活性明显高于Pt/C, Ru的加入一方面影响了甲醇在Pt上的解离吸附性能, 另一方面提供了Ru-OH物种, 从而抑制了低电位下电催化剂中毒. 红外光谱研究结果表明, 线性吸附态CO(COL)是主要毒化物种, 反应产物主要是CO2, 还有少量的甲酸甲酯. 根据实验结果讨论了甲醇在PtRu/C电催化剂上的氧化机理.     

Ultrafine PtRu Dilute Alloy Nanodendrites for Enhanced Electrocatalytic Methanol Oxidation

Dilute alloy nanostructures have been demonstrated to possess distinct catalytic properties. Noble-metal-induced reduction is one effective synthesis strategy to construct dilute alloys and modify the catalytic performance of the host metal. Herein, we report the synthesis of ultrafine PtRu dilute alloy nanodendrites (PtRu NDs, molar ratio Ru/Pt is 1:199) by the reduction of Ru^III ions induced by Pt metal. For the methanol oxidation reaction, PtRu NDs showed the highest forward peak current density (2.66 mA cm⁻², 1.14 A/mg_Pt) and the best stability compared to those of pure-Pt nanodendrites (pure-Pt NDs), commercial PtRu/C and commercial Pt/C catalysts.     

Preparation and characterization of nano-sized Pt-Ru/C catalysts and their superior catalytic activities for methanol and ethanol oxidation

Carbon-supported PtRu nanoparticles (Ru/Pt: 0.25) were prepared by three different methods; simultaneous reduction of PtCl(4) and RuCl(3) (catalyst I) and changing the reduction order of PtCl(4) and RuCl(3) (catalysts II and III) to enhance the performance of the anodic catalysts for methanol and ethanol oxidation. Structure, microstructure and surface characterizations of all the catalysts were carried out by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) coupled with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The results of the XRD analysis showed that all catalysts had a face-centered cubic (fcc) structure with different and smaller lattice parameters than that of pure platinum, showing that the Ru incorporates into the Pt fcc structure by different ratios in all the catalysts. The typical particle sizes of all catalysts were in the range of 2-3 nm. The most active and stable catalyst for methanol and ethanol oxidation is catalyst III, in which a large amount (more than 90%) of PtRu alloy formation was observed. It has been found that this catalyst is about 8.0 and 33.4 times more active at ～0.60 V towards the methanol and ethanol oxidation reactions, respectively, compared to the commercial Pt catalyst.     

Nanostructure PtRu/MWNTs as anode catalysts prepared in a vacuum for direct methanol oxidation

Platinum and ruthenium nanoparticles that are uniformly dispersed on multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) were synthesized by vacuum pyrolysis using Pt(acac)2 and Ru(acac)3 as the metal precursors. The resulting nanocomposites were characterized by transmission electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction. The Pt, Pt45Ru55, and Ru nanoparticles had mean diameters of 3.0 +/- 0.6, 2.7 +/- 0.6, and 2.5 +/- 0.4 nm and the same mole number as their metal precursors at 500 degrees C. The electrocatalytic activity of the Pt/MWNTs and PtRu/MWNTs was investigated at room temperature by cyclic voltammetry and chronoamperometry. All of the electrochemical results showed that the PtRu/MWNTs exhibited a high level of catalytic activity for methanol oxidation as a result of the large surface area of the supporting carbon nanotubes and the wide dispersion of the Pt and Ru nanoparticles. Compared with the Pt/MWNTs, the onset potential for methanol oxidation of the PtRu/MWNTs was significantly lower, and the ratio of the forward anodic peak current to the reverse anodic peak current during methanol oxidation was somewhat higher. The Pt45Ru55/MWNTs displayed the best electrocatalytic activity of all of the carbon-nanotube-supported Pt and PtRu catalysts.     

Adsorption and oxidation of ethanol on colloid-based Pt/C, PtRu/C and Pt3Sn/C catalysts: in situ FTIR spectroscopy and on-line DEMS studies

The interaction of colloid-based, carbon supported Pt/C (40 wt%), PtRu/C (45 wt%) and Pt3Sn/C (24 wt%) catalysts with ethanol and their performance for ethanol electrooxidation were investigated in model studies by electrochemical, in situ infrared spectroscopy and on-line differential electrochemical mass spectrometry measurements. The combined application of in situ spectroscopic techniques on realistic catalysts and under realistic reaction (DEMS, IR) and transport conditions (DEMS) yields new insight on mechanistic details of the reaction on these catalysts under the above reaction and transport conditions. Based on these results, the addition of Sn or Ru, though beneficial for the overall activity for ethanol oxidation, does not enhance the activity for C-C bond breaking. Dissociative adsorption of ethanol to form CO2 is more facile on the Pt/C catalyst than on PtRu/C and Pt3Sn/C catalysts within the potential range of technical interests (<0.6 V), but Pt/C is rapidly blocked by an inhibiting CO adlayer. In all cases acetaldehyde and acetic acid are dominant products, CO2 formation contributes less than 2% to the total current. The higher ethanol oxidation current density on the Pt3Sn/C catalyst at these potentials results from higher yields of C2 products, not from an improved complete ethanol oxidation to CO2.     

化学镀制备高性能直接乙醇燃料电池(DEFC)阳极催化剂PtRu/C和PtRuSn/C

应用化学镀方法,以活化-敏化处理的活性炭作载体,制备高分散催化剂PtRu/C和PtRuSn/C.XRD、TEM及电化学测试表明,该催化剂Pt、Ru、Sn形成合金.金属颗粒的平均粒径约为3 nm.PtRu/C和PtRuSn/C二者对乙醇的阳极氧化都具有良好的催化活性和稳定性.     

PtRu/carbon nanotube nanocomposite synthesized in supercritical fluid: a novel electrocatalyst for direct methanol fuel cells

Platinum/ruthenium nanoparticles were decorated on carbon nanotubes (CNT) in supercritical carbon dioxide, and the nanocomposites were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). TEM images show that the particles size is in the range of 5-10 nm, and XRD patterns show a face-centered cubic crystal structure. Methanol electrooxidation in 1 M sulfuric acid electrolyte containing 2 M methanol were studied onPtRu/CNT (Pt, 4.1 wt%; Ru, 2.3 wt%; molar ratio approximately Pt/Ru = 45:55) catalysts using cyclic voltammetry, linear sweep voltammetry, chronoamperometry, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. All the electrochemical results show that PtRu/CNT catalysts exhibit high activity for methanol oxidation which resulted from the high surface area of carbon nanotubes and the nanostructure of platinum/ruthenium particles. Compared with Pt/CNT, the onset potential is much lower and the ratio of forward anodic peak current to reverse anodic peak current is much higher for methanol oxidation, which indicates the higher catalytic activity of PtRu/CNT. The presence of Ru with Pt accelerates the rate of methanol oxidation. The results demonstrated the feasibility of processing bimetallic catalysts in supercritical carbon dioxide for fuel cell applications.     

Heat-induced alterations in the surface population of metal sites in bimetallic nanoparticles

The ability to alter the surface population of metal sites in bimetallic nanoparticles (NPs) is of great interest in the context of heterogeneous catalysis. Here, we report findings of surface alterations of Pt and Ru metallic sites in bimetallic carbon-supported (PtRu/C) NPs that were induced by employing a controlled thermal-treatment strategy. The thermal-treatment procedure was designed in such a way that the particle size of the initial NPs was not altered and only the surface population of Pt and Ru was changed, thus allowing us to deduce structural information independent of particle-size effects. X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) was utilized to deduce the structural parameters that can provide information on atomic distribution and/or extent of alloying as well as the surface population of Pt and Ru in PtRu/C NPs. The PtRu/C catalyst sample was obtained from Johnson Matthey, and first the as-received catalyst was reduced in 2 % H2 and 98 % Ar gas mixture at 300 degrees C for 4 h (PtRu/C as-reduced). Later this sample was subjected to thermal treatment in either oxygen (PtRu/C-O2-300) or hydrogen (PtRu/C-H2-350). The XAS results reveal that when the as-reduced PtRu/C catalyst was exposed to the O2 thermal-treatment strategy, a considerable amount of Ru was moved to the catalyst surface. In contrast, the H2 thermal-treatment strategy led to a higher population of Pt on the PtRu/C surface. Characterization of the heat-treated PtRu/C samples by X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy reveals that there is no significant change in the particle size of thermally treated samples when compared to the as-received PtRu/C sample. The electrochemical properties of the as-reduced and heat-treated PtRu/C catalyst samples were confirmed by cyclic voltammetry, CO-adsorption stripping voltammetry, and linear sweep voltammetry. Both XAS and electrochemical investigations concluded that the PtRu/C-H2-350 sample exhibits significant enhancement in reactivity toward methanol oxidation as a result of the increased surface population of the Pt when compared to the PtRu/C-O2-300 and PtRu/C as-reduced samples.     

直接甲醇燃料电池PtRuMo/C电催化剂的制备和性质

直接甲醇燃料电池PtRuMo/C电催化剂的制备和性质;直接甲醇燃料电池;电催化剂;甲醇电氧化