Au/Pt and Au/Pt3Ni nanowires as self-supported electrocatalysts with high activity and durability for oxygen reduction

Novel Au/Pt and Au/Pt(3)Ni nanostructures consisting of Pt and Pt(3)Ni alloy nanodendrites grown on Au nanowires were synthesized, which exhibited high electrocatalytic activity and durability toward oxygen reduction when used as self-supported catalysts.     

Investigation of a Co-MgO-ZSM catalyst by temperature-programmed reduction,temperature-programmed desorption,and IR spectroscopy

The 32% Co-3% MgO-ZSM (SiO₂/Al₂O₃=38) system has been studied by means of temperature-programmed reduction, temperature-programmed desorption, and IR spectroscopy. The data from temperature-programmed reduction show that cobalt exists on the surface of the catalyst in the form of Co²⁺, CoO, Co₃O₄, and CoO·MgO solid solutions. Reduction of the sample results in the formation of a very inhomogeneous surface with four groups of sites.N. D. Zelinskii Institute of Organic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, 117913 Moscow. J. Heyrovsky Institute of Physical Chemistry and Electrochemistry, Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences, Prague. Translated from Izvestiya Akademii Nauk, Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 1, pp. 55–59, January, 1992.     

Covalent hybrid of spinel manganese-cobalt oxide and graphene as advanced oxygen reduction electrocatalysts

Through direct nanoparticle nucleation and growth on nitrogen doped, reduced graphene oxide sheets and cation substitution of spinel Co(3)O(4) nanoparticles, a manganese-cobalt spinel MnCo(2)O(4)/graphene hybrid was developed as a highly efficient electrocatalyst for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in alkaline conditions. Electrochemical and X-ray near-edge structure (XANES) investigations revealed that the nucleation and growth method for forming inorganic-nanocarbon hybrids results in covalent coupling between spinel oxide nanoparticles and N-doped reduced graphene oxide (N-rmGO) sheets. Carbon K-edge and nitrogen K-edge XANES showed strongly perturbed C-O and C-N bonding in the N-rmGO sheet, suggesting the formation of C-O-metal and C-N-metal bonds between N-doped graphene oxide and spinel oxide nanoparticles. Co L-edge and Mn L-edge XANES suggested substitution of Co(3+) sites by Mn(3+), which increased the activity of the catalytic sites in the hybrid materials, further boosting the ORR activity compared with the pure cobalt oxide hybrid. The covalently bonded hybrid afforded much greater activity and durability than the physical mixture of nanoparticles and carbon materials including N-rmGO. At the same mass loading, the MnCo(2)O(4)/N-graphene hybrid can outperform Pt/C in ORR current density at medium overpotentials with stability superior to Pt/C in alkaline solutions.     

Electrochemical oxidation of methanol using dppm-bridged Ru/Pd, Ru/Pt and Ru/Au catalysts

The electrochemical oxidation of methanol was carried out using a series of dppm-bridged Ru/Pd, Ru/Pt and Ru/Au heterobimetallic complexes as catalysts. The major oxidation products were formaldehyde dimethyl acetal (dimethoxymethane, DMM) and methyl formate (MF). The Ru/Pd and Ru/Pt bimetallic catalysts generally afforded lower product ratios of DMM/MF and higher current efficiencies than the Ru/Au catalysts. The Ru/Au bimetallics exhibited product ratios and current efficiencies similar to those obtained from the Ru mononuclear compound CpRu(PPh(3))(2)Cl. Increasing the methanol concentration afforded higher current efficiencies, while the addition of water to the samples shifted the product distribution toward the more highly oxidized product, MF.     

Cooperativity of copper and molybdenum centers in polyoxometalate-based electrocatalysts: cyclic voltammetry, EQCM, and AFM characterization

Electrochemical behaviors of selected Dawson-type polytungstates including 2-K10[P2W15Mo2O61box] where the symbol [box] designates a vacant site, alpha2-K7[Fe(OH2)P2W15Mo2O61], alpha2-K8[Cu(OH2)P2W15Mo2O61], alpha1- and alpha2-K8[Cu(OH2)P2W17O61], alpha2-K8[Cu(OH2)P2W13Mo4O61], and alpha2-K8[Cu(OH2)P2W12Mo5O61] were investigated by cyclic voltammetry (CV) coupled with the electrochemical quartz microbalance (EQCM), and the results were completed by atomic force microscopy (AFM) observations of the electrodeposited films. The electrocatalytic abilities of these polyoxometalates (POMs) in the reduction of dioxygen, hydrogen peroxide, and NOx were also assessed by CV and EQCM. It turns out that the remarkable electrocatalysis obtained at the reduction potential of Mo centers within alpha2-K8[Cu(OH2)P2W15Mo2O61], but in a domain where Cu2+ is not deposited, benefits from the assistance of the copper center because such catalysis could not be observed in the absence of Cu2+. EQCM confirms that no copper deposition occurs under the experimental conditions used. Analogous behaviors are encountered in the electrocatalytic reduction of nitrite where assistance by the presence of the Cu2+ center induced the observation of catalysis at the potential location of Mo centers. Finally, the reduction of nitrate is triggered by electrodeposited copper but was remarkably favored by the presence of molybdenum atoms within these polyoxometalates (POMs). All of the results converge to indicate a cooperative effect between the Mo and Cu centers within these POMs. The various results suggest that copper deposition from these POMs should give morphologically different surfaces. AFM studies confirm this expectation, and the observed morphologies and sizes of particles were rationalized by taking into account the role of the POM skeleton and its atomic composition in the electrodeposition process.     

Mono and bi-metallic electrocatalysts of Pt and Ag for oxygen reduction reaction synthesized by sonication

Nanoparticles of Ag, Pt and Pt–Ag were synthesized using ultrasonic irradiation with no consecutive thermal treatment to catalyze the oxygen reduction reaction. Metal nanoparticles are supported on carbon substrate. The synthesized materials were characterized by XRD, TEM, and cyclic and lineal voltammetry techniques. The kinetic formation of the metallic nanoparticles in solution was followed using UV–vis spectroscopy. The metal particles have crystalline structure and particle size with < 10 nm in size and in the form of spherical agglomerates. Ag/C exhibits lower electrochemical activity and stability for the ORR compared to Pt/C and Pt–Ag/C in acid medium. The mass and specific activity results demonstrate that the synthesized bimetallic sample exhibits 1.5 and 5 times greater electrochemical activities for the ORR compared to the commercial sample.     

Fabrication of monometallic (Co,Pd, Pt,Au) and bimetallic (Pt/Au,Au/Pt) thin films with hierarchical architectures as electrocatalysts

Co thin films with novel hierarchical structures were controllably fabricated by simple electrochemical deposition in the absence of hard and soft templates, which were used as sacrificial templates to further prepare noble metal (Pd, Pt, Au) hierarchical micro/nanostructures via metal exchange reactions. SEM characterization demonstrated that the resulting noble metal thin films displayed hierarchical architectures. The as-prepared noble metal thin films could be directly used as the anode catalysts for the electro-oxidation of formic acid. Moreover, bimetallic catalysts (Pt/Au, Au/Pt) fabricated based on the monometallic Au, Pt micro/nanostructures exhibited the higher catalytic activity compared to the previous monometallic catalysts.     

Light induced photoreactions with plasmid DNA by Cu/Ru and Cu/Ru/Pt multi-metallic porphyrins

Coordination of two [Ru(bipy)(2)Cl](+) moieties (where bipy = 2,2'-bipyridine) to the pyridyl nitrogens in the 5,10-positions of meso-5,10,15-(4-Pyridyl)-20-(pentafluorophenyl)porphyrin gives the diruthenium porphyrin complex II. Insertion of copper(II) into the porphyrin center allows for the third pyridyl nitrogen to coordinate to Pt(dmso)Cl(2). Electronic transitions associated with the ruthenium porphyrin include an intense Soret band and four less intense Q-bands in the visible region of the spectrum. An intense π-π* transition in the UV region associated with the bipyridyl groups and a metal to ligand charge transfer (MLCT) band appearing as a shoulder to the Soret band are also observed. A slight blue shift of the Soret band and collapse of the Q-bands into one band is observed upon insertion of Cu(II) into the porphyrin center. No change in the electronic spectrum is observed upon coordination of the Pt(dmso)Cl(2) moiety. Electrochemical properties associated with the complexes include a redox couple in the cathodic region attributed to the porphyrin and a redox couple in the anodic region due to the Ru(III/II) couple. DNA titrations of the Cu/Ru and Cu/Ru/Pt porphyrins indicate that both complexes interact strongly with DNA potentially through a partial intercalation mechanism. Gel electrophoresis studies indicate that the Cu/Ru/Pt porphyrin has a greater effect on DNA migration through the gel than the well known DNA binding agent cis-platin. Irradiation of aqueous solutions of the Cu/Ru porphyrin and supercoiled DNA at a 5:1 base pair to complex ratio (in the absence of oxygen) with visible light above 400 nm shows a nicking of the DNA. Repeat experiments in the presence of oxygen show that the Cu/Ru porphyrin photocleaves the DNA, giving the linear form, as evidenced by gel electrophoresis.     

Transmission electron microscopy studies of the nanoscale structure and chemistry of Pt50Ru50 electrocatalysts.

The structural and chemical heterogeneity of 2.5-nm Pt50Ru50 electrocatalysts was studied by transmission electron microscopy using selected area diffraction, lattice imaging, electron-energy loss spectroscopy, and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The catalysts with the highest methanol oxidation activities exhibit oxidation-induced phase separation on the nanoscale to from Pt-rich metal embedded in Ru-rich hydrous and anhydrous oxide. Reduction of the oxide-on metal samples produces a true bimetallic face-centered cubic Pt50Ru50 alloy, with 275 times lower oxidation activity.     

Parametric sensitivity of complex temperature-programmed desorption,reaction and reduction

Through simulation of the temperature-programmed desorption, reaction and reduction in a system of parallel reactions. it is shown that the experimental conditions influence the simultaneous or consecutive occurrence of the individual reactions of the system. Adjustment of the concentration of a gaseous reaction component or optimization of the temperature program results in a shift to the desired consecutive occurrence of the reactions. Therefore, a better resolution of the individual reactions can be achieved through a judicious choice of the experimental conditions of the temperature-programmed methods.

---

Zusammenfassung Durch Simulierung temperaturprogrammierter Desqrption, Reaktion und Reduzierung in einem System von Parallelreaktionen konnte gezeigt werden, daß die experimentellen Bedingungen die Simultanität bzw. Konsekutivität der Einzelreaktionen des Systems beeinflussen. Durch eine Einstellung der Konzentration der gasförmigen Reaktionsprodukte oder durch Optimalisierung des Temperaturprogrammes kann eine gewünschte Folge der Einzelreaktionen erreicht werden. Somit kann durch eine geschickte Wahl der experimentellen Bedingungen bei temperaturprogrammierten Verfahren eine bessere Separierung der Einzelreaktionen erreicht werden.

---

- , , , . . , - .

---

     

Compositional effects in Ru, Pd, Pt, and Rh-doped mesoporous tantalum oxide catalysts for ammonia synthesis

A series of early metal-promoted Ru-, Pd-, Pt-, and Rh-doped mesoporous tantalum oxide catalysts were synthesized using a variety of dopant ratios and dopant precursors, and the effects of these parameters on the catalytic activity of NH3 synthesis from H2 and N2 were explored. Previous studies on this system supported an unprecedented mechanism in which N-N cleavage occurred at the Ta sites rather than on Ru. The results of the present study showed, for all systems, that Ba is a better promoter than Cs or La and that the nitrate is a superior precursor for Ba than the isopropoxide or the hydroxide. 15N-labeling studies showed that residual nitrate functions as the major ammonia source in the first hour but that it does not account for the ammonia produced after the nitrate is completely consumed. Ru3(CO)12 proved to be a better Ru precursor than RuCl(3).3H2O, and an almost linear increase in activity with increasing Ru loading level was observed at 350 degrees C (623 K). However, at 175 degrees C (448 K), the increase in Ru had no effect on the reaction rate. Pd functioned with comparable rates to Ru, while Pt and Rh functioned far less efficiently. The surprising activities for the Pd-doped catalysts, coupled with XPS evidence for low-valent Ta in this catalyst system, support a mechanism in which cleavage of the N-N triple bond occurs on Ta rather than the precious metal because the Ea value for N-N cleavage on Pd is 2.5 times greater than that for Ru, and the 9.3 kJ mol-1 Ea value measured previously for the Ru system suggests that N-N cleavage cannot occur at the Ru surface.     

The influence of hydrogen peroxide on carbon monoxide electrooxidation at Pt/C and Pt:Ru/C electrodes

Polymer electrolyte fuel cells constitute one of the most important efficiency energy converters for non-centralised uses. However, the use of fuels arising from reformate processes significantly lowers the current efficiency because of anodic catalytic poison coming from adsorbed carbon monoxide (CO_ad). In this work, the influence of the addition of hydrogen peroxide in the flow current is studied, considering the adsorption and electrochemical oxidation of carbon monoxide on carbon-supported Pt (20% Pt/Vulcan) and Pt:Ru (1:1, 20% Pt:Ru/Vulcan) catalysts in 2 M sulphuric acid. The investigation was conducted applying cyclic voltammetry and on-line differential electrochemical mass spectrometry. A series of experiments has been performed to investigate the influence of the temperature as well as the time of contact and the concentration of hydrogen peroxide. Oxidation of CO_ad to carbon dioxide occurs at lower potentials in the presence of hydrogen peroxide. Moreover, it is possible to remove ca. 70% of CO_ad on Pt/C electrodes. On the other hand, for PtRu/C electrodes, similar charge values to those of Pt/C electrodes were obtained for the CO stripping, but the process occurs at more negative potentials. In this case, the effect of partial desorption for CO_ad by interaction with hydrogen peroxide is added to the bifunctional mechanism usually considered for this alloy. This paper is dedicated to Prof. Francisco Nart, in memoriam.     

Adsorption of formaldehyde on Pt(111) and Pt(100) electrodes: cyclic voltammetry and scanning tunneling microscopy

The adsorption of formaldehyde (HCHO) on Pt(111) and Pt(100) electrodes was examined by cyclic voltammetry (CV) and in situ scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) in 0.1 M HClO(4). The extent of HCHO adsorption at both Pt electrodes was evaluated by comparing the CVs, particularly for the hydrogen adsorption and desorption between 0.05 and 0.4 V, obtained in 0.1 M HClO(4) with and without HCHO. The adsorption of HCHO on these Pt electrodes was significant only when [HCHO] >/= 10 mM. Adsorbed organic intermediate species acted as poisons, blocking Pt surfaces and causing delays in the oxidation of HCHO. Compared to Pt(111), Pt(100) was more prone to poisoning, as indicated by a 200 mV positive shift of the onset of HCHO oxidation. However, Pt(100) exhibited an activity 3 times higher than that of Pt(111), as indicated by the difference in peak current density of HCHO oxidation. Molecular resolution STM revealed highly ordered structures of Pt(111)-( radical7 x radical7)R19.1 degrees and Pt(100)-( radical2 x radical2) in the potential region between 0.1 and 0.3 V. Voltammetric measurements further showed that the organic poisons produced by HCHO adsorption behaved differently from the intentionally dosed CO admolecules, which supports the assumption for the formation of HCO or COH adspecies, rather than CO, as the poison. On both Pt electrodes, HCHO oxidation commenced preferentially at step sites at the onset potential of this reaction, but it occurred uniformly at the peak potentials.     

On the electrochemical reduction of some Cr(III) complexes inDMSO investigated by cyclic voltammetry

The compounds investigated were: [Cr(en)₃]³⁺, [Cr(ur)₆]³⁺, [Cr(DMSO)₆]³⁺, [Cr(dien)₂]³⁺, [Cr(en)₂(acac)]²⁺, [Cr(en) (acac)₂]⁺ and Cr(acac)₃.A distinctly different behaviour is caused by the introduction of one or moreacac ligands into the molecule. The first step is much more cathodic and quite irreversible, while it is reversible or quasi reversible for the first group of ions. This is due to a -type interaction between theacac ligand and the central ion. This interaction is responsible for a third peak occurring for the second group of compounds and may be attributed to the reduction of the Cr(I) ion.Some correlations were found e.g. between the extinction of thed-d band of the first group of ions and the potential of the first peak, and the number ofacac groups introduced in the second group of compounds and the shift of the potential of the first peak.The determined electrochemical data are tabulated.

---

Untersuchungen zur elektrochemischen Reduktion einiger Cr(III)-Komplexe in DMSO mittels zyklischer Voltammetrie

Zusammenfassung Die elektrochemischen Daten einer Reihe von Cr(III)-Komplexen miten-, ur-, DMSO-, dien- undacac-Liganden werden präsentiert und einige Möglichkeiten der Korrelation der physikalischen Eigenschaften der Komplexe werden aufgezeigt.Die erste Stufe bei der Einführung vonacac-Liganden ist auf Grund einer -Wechselwirkung zwischen Ligand und Zentralion irreversibel.

     

The mechanism of reaction of ebselen with superoxide in aprotic solvents as examined by cyclic voltammetry and ESR

The mechanism of the redox reaction of ebselen with superoxide was investigated using both ESR and electrochemical techniques. The reaction with superoxide in aprotic solvents was followed by means of cyclic voltammetry and ESR spin-trapping. A decrease in the oxidation current due to superoxide as a result of the addition of ebselen was clearly observed in the cyclic voltammograms. Ebselen reduced the ESR signal intensity of 5,5-dimethyl-1-pyrroline N-oxide (DMPO)-superoxide in a dose-dependent manner. The formation of an amidyl radical in this redox reaction was confirmed by rapid mixing continuous-flow ESR. The selenonate form and the seleninate form of ebselen were identified as the final products of the reaction of ebselen with superoxide. The following mechanism for this redox reaction can be proposed: First, ebselen reacts with superoxide and is converted to an ebselen anion radical; second, the ebselen anion radical reacts with superoxide and is converted to the amidyl radical. Hydrogen abstraction by the amidyl radical occurs and gives both a seleninate form and a selenonate form.     

Ag nanobelts: synthesis, morphological evolution, and their use as electrocatalysts for oxygen reduction

The recent development of 1D nanomaterials of controllable size, composition, and structure has opened up enormous possibilities for engineering catalysts with enhanced activity and selectivity. Herein, we report a one-step strategy for the fabrication of versatile silver nanomaterials. Tailored structures, such as nanobelts, nanowires, and nanocables, were conveniently synthesized by adjusting the reaction conditions. The novelty of this synthesis is in a one-pot procedure that combines the sequential formation of precursor nucleation, in situ polymerization, and crystal shaping under mild conditions. The as-synthesized cables consisted of a metallic core (Ag) and an organic outer shell (poly(o-anisidine), POA). Control experiments demonstrated that the introduced organic monomer (OA) not only acted as the nanoreactor and capping agent, but also a modest reducer for controlled crystal growth at the hydrophilic interface. Electrocatalytic tests showed enhanced stability and activity towards the reduction of oxygen, which was believed to be closely associated with the core-shell structural characteristics of the nanomaterials. Their electrocatalytic performance and tunable structure makes such silver nanobelts promising candidates for applications in catalysis and as sensors in nanoelectrochemical devices.