Three-dimensional nanostructured carbon nanotube array/PtRu nanoparticle electrodes for micro-fuel cells

We have fabricated three-dimensional (3D) nanostructured carbon nanotube (CNT) array/PtRu nanoparticle (with the average molar percentage (26%) of Ru) electrodes using anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) templates for micro-fuel cells. 3D nanostructured CNT array was used to support PtRu nanoparticles to enhance the utilization efficiency of Pt. The 3D nanostructured CNT array/PtRu electrodes show the excellent catalytic activity and electrochemical stability of electro-oxidation of methanol. Their anodic current density is 10 times as high as that of PtRu thin-films, which could be explained in terms of the high specific surface area of 3D nanostructured CNT array supporting films and the uniform distribution of PtRu nanoparticles.     

高催化活性Pd-Co3O4/MWCNTs催化剂对甲醇氧化的电催化性能

以Co(NO3)3·6H2O为钴源,聚乙二醇(PEG)20000为表面活性剂,与多壁碳纳米管(MWCNTs)混合后通过水热氧化法成功地合成了表面均匀分布纳米絮状Co3O4的MWCNTs复合物,进一步还原Pd的前驱体而制备得到Pd-Co3O4/MWCNTs复合催化剂.利用扫描电镜(SEM)、透射电镜(TEM)及X射线粉末衍射(XRD)等手段对样品的形貌和晶型结构进行了表征,结果表明Pd纳米粒子为面心立方晶体结构,均匀地分布在Co3O4修饰的MWCNTs表面.用循环伏安法和计时电流法表征结果表明:催化剂Pd-Co3O4/MWCNTs具有较大的电化学活性表面积,在碱性介质中对甲醇氧化具有更高的电催化活性和稳定性.研究结果表明,过渡金属氧化物纳米Co3O4颗粒在提高直接甲醇燃料电池(DMFC)催化性能研究中具有十分重要的作用,是一类很有潜力的载体催化剂.     

Single-step synthesis and stabilization of metal nanoparticles in aqueous pluronic block copolymer solutions at ambient temperature

A single-step synthesis of gold nanoparticles with an average diameter of approximately 10 nm from hydrogen tetrachloroaureate(III) hydrate (HAuCl4.3H2O) has been achieved in air-saturated aqueous solutions that contain poly(ethylene oxide)-poly(propylene oxide)-poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO-PPO-PEO) block copolymers but not any other reducing agent. These amphiphilic block copolymers act as both reductants and colloidal stabilizers and prove very efficient in both functions. The formation of gold nanoparticles is controlled by the overall molecular weight and relative block length of the block copolymer. The synthesis procedure reported here is environmentally benign and economic, as it involves the minimum possible number of components: it uses water as the solvent, it uses commercially available polymers, it proceeds fast to completion, and it results in a "ready-to-use" product.     

Au@Pt纳米粒子催化O2还原反应的电化学研究

以100 nm的Au粒子为核,抗坏血酸为还原剂,H2PtCl6·6H2O为前驱体,合成了Pt包Au核壳结构纳米粒子( Au@ Pt)及其修饰的玻碳(GC)电极(Au@ Pt/GC).采用旋转圆盘电极等常规电化学方法,比较了Au@ Pt/GC和商用碳载铂(Pt/C)修饰的玻碳电极(Pt/C/GC)催化O2还原反应活性及耐甲醇性能,发现Au@ Pt纳米粒子在铂用量很低的情况下,其催化O2还原反应活性仍与商用Pt/C相当,而且还具有优良的耐甲醇性能;其催化O2还原反应机理按O2直接还原成H2O的四电子历程进行.     

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.     

Polyol法制备PEO-PPO-PEO包裹的多功能CoFeAu纳米粒子(英文)

采用Polyol合成法,以三嵌段共聚物PEO-PPO-PEO为表面活性剂,以1,2-十六烷二醇为还原剂,乙酰丙酮钴(Ⅱ)、乙酰丙酮铁(Ⅱ)和醋酸金为前驱体,成功合成了CoFeAu纳米粒子.傅立叶变换红外光谱(FT-IR)分析证实了共聚物PEO-PPO-PEO包裹在CoFeAu纳米颗粒表面,X射线衍射仪(XRD)测试得出该纳米粒子是面心立方晶体结构、晶格参数为0.406nm、结晶性能好.紫外可见近红外分光光度计吸收光谱仪和振动样品磁强计(VSM)测试证明了该纳米粒子兼具良好的光学和磁学特性.该多功能CoFeAu纳米粒子有望在催化材料、磁材料、光电和生物医药等方面发挥有益作用.     

Oxygen-deficient titania as alternative support for Pt catalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction

Insufficient electrochemical stability is a major challenge for carbon materials in oxygen reduction reaction （ORR） due to carbon corrosion and insufficient metal-support interactions. In this work, titania is explored as an alternative support for Pt catalysts. Oxygen deficient titania samples including TiO2-x and TiO2_xNy were obtained by thermal treatment of anatase TiO2 under flowing H2 and NH3, respectively. Pt nanoparticles were deposited on the titania by a modified ethylene glycol method. The samples were characterized by N2-physisorption, X-ray diffraction and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The ORR activity and long-term stability of supported Pt catalysts were evaluated using linear sweep voltammetry and chronoamperometry in 0.1 mol/L HC104. Pt/TiO2_x and Pt/TiO2_xNy showed higher ORR activities than Pt/TiO2 as indicated by higher onset potentials. Oxygen deficiency in TiO2-x and TiO2-xNy contributed to the high ORR activity due to enhanced charge transfer, as disclosed by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy studies. Electrochemical stability studies revealed that Pt/TiOE_x exhibited a higher stability with a lower current decay rate than commercial Pt/C, which can be attributed to the stable oxide support and strong interaction between Pt nanoparticles and the oxygen-deficient TiO2-x support.     

Mechanism of gold metal ion reduction, nanoparticle growth and size control in aqueous amphiphilic block copolymer solutions at ambient conditions

Spontaneous formation and efficient stabilization of gold nanoparticles with an average diameter of 7 approximately 20 nm from hydrogen tetrachloroaureate(III) hydrate (HAuCl4.3H2O) were achieved in air-saturated aqueous poly(ethylene oxide)-poly(propylene oxide)-poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO-PPO-PEO) block copolymer solutions at ambient temperature in the absence of any other reducing agent. The particle formation mechanism is considered here on the basis of the block copolymer concentration dependence of absorption spectra, the time dependence (kinetics) of AuCl4- reduction, and the block copolymer concentration dependence of particle size. The effects of block copolymer characteristics such as molecular weight (MW), PEO block length, PPO block length, and critical micelle concentration (cmc) are explored by examining several PEO-PPO-PEO block copolymers. Our observations suggest that the formation of gold nanoparticles from AuCl4- comprises three main steps: (1) reduction of metal ions by block copolymer in solution, (2) absorption of block copolymer on gold clusters and reduction of metal ions on the surface of these gold clusters, and (3) growth of metal particles stabilized by block copolymers. While both PEO and PPO blocks contribute to the AuCl4- reduction (step 1), the PEO contribution appears to be dominant. In step 2, the adsorption of block copolymers on the surface of gold clusters takes place because of the amphiphilic character of the block copolymer (hydrophobicity of PPO). The much higher efficiency of particle formation attained in the PEO-PPO-PEO block copolymer systems as compared to PEO homopolymer systems can be attributed to the adsorption and growth processes (steps 2 and 3) facilitated by the block copolymers. The size of the gold nanoparticles produced is dictated by the above mechanism; the size increases with increasing reaction activity induced by the block copolymer overall molecular weight and is limited by adsorption due to the amphiphilic character of the block copolymers.     

Preparation of a highly active palladium nanoparticle/polyoxometalate/reduced graphene oxide nanocomposite by a simple photoreduction method and its application to the electrooxidation of ethylene glycol and glycerol

A one-pot phosphotungstic-acid-assisted photoreduction approach was used to fabricate reduced graphene oxide decorated with Pd nanoparticles, with the phosphotungstic acid acting as both photocatalyst and stabilizer. The resulting nanocomposites were tested, and the electrochemical results showed that their electrocatalytic activity towards the electrooxidation of ethylene glycol and glycerol could be tailored by varying the composition of the material. As a result of the increased surface area of the reduced graphene oxide and the catalytic properties of the Pd nanomaterial and phosphotungstic acid, the prepared nanocomposite exhibited better catalytic activity towards the electrooxidation of ethylene glycol and glycerol in alkaline media than commercial Pd/C catalysts.     

Wormholelike mesoporous carbon supported Pt Ru catalysts toward methanol electrooxidation

Wormholelike mesoporous carbons(WMCs) with three different pore diameters(D_p),namely WMC-F7(D_p=8.5nm),WMC-F30(D_p=4.4nm),and WMC-FO(D_p = 3.1nm) are prepared via a modified sol-gel process.Then PtRu nanoparticles with the particle size(d_(Pt)) of ~3.2 nm supported on WMCs are synthesized with a modified pulse microwave-assisted polyol method.It is found that the pore diameter of WMCs plays an important role in the electrochemical activity of PtRu toward alcohol electrooxidation reaction.PtRu/WMC-F7 with Dp 2d_(Pt) exhibits the largest electrochemical surface area(ESA) and the highest activity toward methanol electrooxidation.With the decrease in D_p,PtRu/WMC-F30 and PtRu/WMC-FO have much lower ESA and electrochemical activity,especially for the isopropanol electrooxidation with a larger molecular size.When D_p is more than twice d_(Pt),the mass transfer of reactants and electrolyte are easier,and thus more PtRu nanoparticles can be utilized and the catalysts activity can be enhanced.     

无电沉积法AuNPs-MWCNTs的制备及其对黄酮类化合物的电化学催化性能研究

利用多壁碳纳米管具有较低的还原电位,以多壁碳纳米管作为还原剂和负载基底,通过无电沉积法制备了负载纳米金粒子的碳纳米管催化剂。此种材料具有更多的活性位点,避免了纳米金粒子表面保护剂的存在造成其催化活性降低的缺陷,发现其对典型黄酮类化合物-芦丁和黄芩苷具有良好的电化学催化性能和较高的灵敏度,并将其应用于电化学分析检测黄酮类化合物。     

基于新型二氧化锰-碳纳米管复合材料的高灵敏过氧化氢传感器

本文以多壁碳纳米管(MWCNTs)和KMnO4为原料,通过直接氧化还原反应合成了一种新型MnO2-C纳米复合材料,将其滴涂在玻碳(GC)电极表面,成功制备出一种非酶型H2O2传感器。采用循环伏安法和计时电流法研究了该传感器对H2O2的电催化氧化行为。实验结果表明,与GC电极和MWCNTs修饰电极相比,该电极对H2O2氧化显示出更好的催化活性。实验对影响电极性能的各种参数,包括pH值、工作电位及MnO2-C修饰量进行了探讨。在最佳实验条件下,传感器对H2O2响应的线性范围为5.0×10-7～0.2mol·L-1,检测限(S/N=3)为1.4×10-7 mol·L-1。该传感器选材新颖,制备方法简单,重现性好,稳定性和抗干扰能力强。     

Effect of hydrophobicity inside PEO-PPO-PEO block copolymer micelles on the stabilization of gold nanoparticles: experiments

In this paper we present the effect of poly(ethylene oxide)-poly(propylene oxide)-poly(ethylene oxide) block copolymer micelles and their hydrophobicity on the stabilization of gold nanoparticles. Gold nanoparticles were prepared by a method developed by Sakai et al. (Sakai, T.; Alexandridis, P. Langmuir 2004, 20, 8426). An absorption centered at 300-400 nm in time-dependent UV spectra provided evidence that the very first step of the synthesis was to form primary gold clusters. Then the gold clusters grew in size and were stabilized by block copolymer micelles. The stabilization capacities of the micelles were modulated by tuning the block copolymer concentration and composition and by adding salts. With good stabilization, gold particles were spherical and uniform in size with a diameter of 5-10 nm. Otherwise they were aggregates with irregular shapes such as triangular, hexagonal, and rodlike. The presence of a small amount of NaF significantly increased the stabilization capacity of the micelles and consequently modified the quality of the gold particles. Using FTIR and 1H NMR spectroscopy, micellization of the block copolymers and hydrophobicity of the micelles were proven very important for the stabilization. A higher hydrophobicity of the micelle cores was expected to favor the entrapment of primary gold clusters and the stabilization of gold nanoparticles.     

Direct electrochemistry and electrochemical catalysis of myoglobin-TiO2 coated multiwalled carbon nanotubes modified electrode

TiO(2) nanoparticles were homogeneously coated on multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) by hydrothermal deposition, and this nanocomposite might be a promising material for myoglobin (Mb) immobilization in view of its high biocompatibility and large surface. The glassy carbon (GC) electrode modified with Mb-TiO(2)/MWCNTs films exhibited a pair of well-defined, stable and nearly reversible cycle voltammetric peaks. The formal potential of Mb in TiO(2)/MWCNTs film was linearly varied in the range of pH 3-10 with a slope of 48.65 mV/pH, indicating that the electron transfer was accompanied by single proton transportation. The electron transfer between Mb and electrode surface, k(s) of 3.08 s(-1), was greatly facilitated in the TiO(2)/MWCNTs film. The electrocatalytic reductions of hydrogen peroxide were also studied, and the apparent Michaelis-Menten constant is calculated to be 83.10 microM, which shows a large catalytic activity of Mb in the TiO(2)/MWCNTs film to H(2)O(2). The modified GC electrode shows good analytical performance for amperometric determination of hydrogen peroxide. The resultant Mb-TiO(2)/MWCNTs modified glassy carbon electrode exhibited fast amperometric response to hydrogen peroxide reduction, long term life and excellent stability. Finally the activity of the sensor for nitric oxide reduction was also investigated.     

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.     

F127反相微乳液中纳米AgCl粒子的可控合成和AgCl/F127-PMMA有机/无机杂化膜的研究

在大分子F127为表面活性剂的反相微乳液体系中,合成AgCl纳米粒子。然后通过聚合制备AgCl/F127-PMMA有机/无机杂化膜,用于苯/环己烷混合物的渗透汽化分离。利用电导率仪、紫外可见光谱及透射电镜研究微乳液的增溶水量(ω)对微乳液结构、胶束中AgCl粒子的生成和形貌的影响。结果表明:合成的AgCl粒子粒径小于10 nm;增加微乳液的ω,生成的AgCl粒子变大。聚合后制备的AgCl/F127-PMMA有机/无机杂化膜中,AgCl粒子能保持较好的分散性。50wt%苯/环己烷混合物的渗透汽化结果表明,在合适的ω下,所制备的AgCl/F127-PMMA有机/无机杂化膜能克服常规高分子膜的trade-off现象,表现出较好的分离性能。     

Preparation and characterization of biodegradable nanoparticles based on amphiphilic poly(3-hydroxybutyrate)-poly(ethylene glycol)-poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) triblock copolymer

Amphiphilic triblock copolymers of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate)-poly(ethylene glycol)-poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB-PEG-PHB) were directly synthesized by the ring-opening copolymerization of β-butyrolactone monomer using PEG as macroinitiator. Their structure, thermal properties and crystallization were investigated by ¹H NMR, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and X-ray diffraction. It was found that both PHB and PEG blocks were miscible. With the increase in the PHB block length, the triblock copolymers became amorphous because amorphous PHB block remarkably depressed the crystallization of the PEG block. Biodegradable nanoparticles with core-shell structure were prepared in aqueous solution from the amphiphilic triblock copolymers, and characterized by ¹H NMR, SEM and fluorescence. The hydrophobic PHB segments formed the central solid-like core, and stabilized by the hydrophilic PEG block. The nanoparticle size was close related to the initial concentrations of the nanoparticle dispersions and the compositions of the triblock copolymers. Moreover, the PHB-PEG-PHB nanoparticles also showed good drug loading properties, which suggested that they were very suitable as delivery vehicles for hydrophobic drugs.     

Spontaneous formation of gold nanoparticles in poly(ethylene oxide)-poly(propylene oxide) solutions: solvent quality and polymer structure effects

We report here on the effects that the solution properties of poly(ethylene oxide)-poly(propylene oxide)-poly(ethylene oxide) block copolymers have on the reduction of hydrogen tetrachloroaurate(III) hydrate (HAuCl4.3H2O) and the size of gold nanoparticles produced. The amphiphilic block copolymer solution properties were modulated by varying the temperature and solvent quality (water, formamide, and their mixtures). We identified two main factors, (i) block copolymer conformation or structure (e.g., loops vs entanglements, nonassociated polymers vs micelles) and (ii) interactions between AuCl4- ions and block copolymers (attractive ion-dipole interactions vs repulsive interactions due to hydrophobicity), to be important for controlling the competition between the reactivities of AuCl4- reduction in the bulk solution to form gold seeds and on the surface of gold seeds (particles) and the particle size determination. The particle size increase observed with increased temperature in aqueous solutions is attributed to enhanced hydrophobicity of the block copolymer, which favors AuCl4- reduction on the surface of seeds. The lower reactivity and higher particle sizes observed in formamide solutions are attributed to the shielding of ion-dipole interaction between AuCl4- ions and block copolymers by formamide, which overcomes the beneficial effects of formamide on the block copolymer conformation (lower micelle concentration).     

Nanoparticle-reinforced associative network hydrogels

ABA triblock copolymers in solvents selective for the midblock are known to form associative micellar gels. We have modified the structure and rheology of ABA triblock copolymer gels comprising poly(lactide)-poly(ethylene oxide)-poly(lactide) (PLA-PEO-PLA) through addition of a clay nanoparticle, laponite. Addition of laponite particles resulted in additional junction points in the gel via adsorption of the PEO corona chains onto the clay surfaces. Rheological measurements showed that this strategy led to a significant enhancement of the gel elastic modulus with small amounts of nanoparticles. Further characterization using small-angle X-ray scattering and dynamic light scattering confirmed that nanoparticles increase the intermicellar attraction and result in aggregation of PLA-PEO-PLA micelles.     

Activation of nanoparticle Pt-Ru fuel cell catalysts by heat treatment: a 195Pt NMR and electrochemical study

(195)Pt NMR spectroscopic and electrochemical measurements were carried out on commercial Pt-Ru alloy nanoparticle samples to investigate the effect of high-temperature annealing in different vacuum/gas-phase environments. Samples annealed at 220 degrees C in Ar gas, or in a vacuum, did not show any demonstrable change in catalytic activity vs electrochemically reduced, room-temperature samples. In contrast, annealing at 220 degrees C in H(2) gas led to a 3-fold increase in reactivity toward methanol oxidation (per surface site). NMR experiments show that annealing at 220 degrees C (in both Ar and H(2)) leads to a slight reduction in the Fermi level local density of states (E(F)-LDOS) at the Pt sites, which we attribute to surface enrichment of Ru. This electronic effect alone, however, appears to be too small to account for the increase in the catalytic activity observed for the H-treated catalyst. By comparing the electrochemical and NMR data of the H- and Ar-treated samples, we conclude that annealing at 220 degrees C in the hydrogen atmosphere reduces surface Ru oxides into metallic Ru, and consequently, the presence of metallic Ru and its enrichment on the surface are essential for the enhanced catalytic activity. In contrast, heat treatment at 600 degrees C in both vacuum and argon atmosphere increases the particle size and reduces the amount of platinum on the nanoparticle surface, thereby increasing the surface Ru content beyond the optimum surface composition values. This causes a large reduction in catalytic activity. Our results suggest that optimizing the amount of surface Ru by heat treatment at temperatures near 200 degrees C, in a hydrogen atmosphere, can be utilized to produce Pt-Ru alloy nanoparticles with high methanol oxidation activity. Finally, our NMR and electrochemical data, taken together with the lattice parameter measurements, lead to a novel model of Pt-Ru alloy nanoparticles having a Ru-rich core and a Pt-Ru alloy overlayer.