Titanium-supported nanoporous bimetallic Pt–Ir electrocatalysts for formic acid oxidation

Novel titanium-supported nanoporous network bimetallic Pt–Ir/Ti electrocatalysts (S1:Pt₅₉Ir₄₁/Ti, S2:Pt₄₄Ir₅₆/Ti, S3:Pt₂₂Ir₇₈/Ti) have been successfully fabricated by the hydrothermal process. The nanoparticles of Pt and Ir were deposited on the titanium substrates in the presence of formaldehyde as a reduction agent. The electrocatalytic activity of these electrocatalysts towards formic acid oxidation in 0.5 M H₂SO₄ + 0.5 M HCOOH solutions was investigated using cyclic voltammograms (CVs), linear sweep voltammograms (LSVs), chrono amperometry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The CVs of S1, S2 and S3 exhibit two anodic peaks in the forward scan and one anodic peak in the reverse scan which are similar to the pure Pt. Their LSVs show that the three samples present significantly high current densities of formic acid oxidation compared to the Pt electrode. It is observed from the chrono amperometric measurements at potential 600 mV that the sample S2 delivers a steady-state current density that is 545 times larger than that for the pure Pt electrode. EIS analysis shows that the impedances on both the imaginary and real axes of S1, S2 and S3 are much lower than those of the pure Pt. Among the three samples (S1, S2 and S3), S2 exhibits the highest electrocatalytic activity towards the formic acid oxidation.     

Localized Pd overgrowth on cubic Pt nanocrystals for enhanced electrocatalytic oxidation of formic acid

Binary Pt/Pd nanoparticles were synthesized by localized overgrowth of Pd on cubic Pt seeds for the investigation of electrocatalytic formic acid oxidation. The binary particles exhibited much less self-poisoning and a lower activation energy relative to Pt nanocubes, consistent with the single crystal study.     

Pd black decorated by Pt sub-monolayers as an electrocatalyst for the HCOOH oxidation

Pd black was modified by a very low amount of Pt corresponding to a sub-monolayer (ML). Spontaneous displacement method was employed. The catalysts with 0.02–0.12 ML were characterized by cyclic voltammetry and CO_ads stripping and were tested for HCOOH oxidation under the potentiodynamic and potentiostatic conditions. All the Pt@Pd catalysts were more active for HCOOH oxidation than Pd black. The Pt@Pd with 0.08 ML of Pt exhibited the highest activity with the maximum current density under the potentiodynamic conditions of 8 mA cm^?2 (vs. 2.7 mA cm^?2 on Pd black). Contrasting HCOOH oxidation kinetics on Pt@Pd and Pt@Au catalysts revealed that the current densities are higher, and the poisoning rate is lower on Pt@Pd catalyst. This was ascribed to an optimal strength of the Pt–adsorbate bond when Pt is supported on Pd and to a possible influence of the Pt atoms on the Pd substrate.     

Preparation of Pd/C catalyst for formic acid oxidation using a novel colloid method

A novel colloid method using (WO₃)_n·xH₂O as colloidal source was developed to prepare Pd/C catalyst for formic acid oxidation. Transmission electron microscopy image shows that the Pd/C nanoparticles have an average size of 3.3 nm and a narrow size distribution. Electrochemical measurements indicate that the Pd/C catalyst exhibits significantly high electrochemical active surface area and high catalytic activity with good stability for formic acid oxidation compared with that prepared by common method. The colloid method is very simple and has great potentials for mass-producing Pd/C and others noble metal catalysts.     

Co-deposits of Pt and Bi on Au disk toward formic acid oxidation

Journal of Solid State Electrochemistry - Presented in this work is an investigation of co-deposits of Pt and Bi on Au disk (Pt-Bi/Au) toward formic acid oxidation (FAO) using voltammetry and X-ray...     

Hydrogen Storage Mediated by Pd and Pt Nanoparticles

The hydrogen storage properties of metal nanoparticles change with particle size. For example, in a palladium–hydrogen system, the hydrogen solubility and equilibrium pressure for the formation of palladium hydride decrease with a decrease in the particle size, whereas hydrogen solubility in nanoparticles of platinum, in which hydrogen cannot be stored in the bulk state, increases. Systematic studies of hydrogen storage in Pd and Pt nanoparticles have clarified the origins of these nanosize effects. We found a novel hydrogen absorption site in the hetero‐interface that forms between the Pd core and Pt shell of the Pd/Pt core/shell‐type bimetallic nanoparticles. It is proposed that the potential formed in the hetero‐interface stabilizes hydrogen atoms rather than interstitials in the Pd core and Pt shells. These results suggest that metal nanoparticles a few nanometers in size can act as a new type of hydrogen storage medium. Based on knowledge of the nanosize effects, we discuss how hydrogen storage media can be designed for improvement of the conditions of hydrogen storage.     

Two-parameter stochastic resonance in a model of electrochemical oxidation of formic acid on Pt

Stochastic resonance (SR) is shown in a two-parameter system, a model of electrochemical oxidation of formic acid on Pt. The driving current and the saturation coverage for carbon monoxide are two control parameters in this model. Modulation of an excitable focal stable state close to a Hopf bifurcation by a weak periodic signal in one parameter and noise in the other parameter is found to give rise to SR. The results indicate that the noise can enlarge a weak periodic signal and lead the system to be ordered. The scenario and novel aspects of SR in this system are discussed.     

Hydrogen effects on microstructural evolution and passive film characteristics of a duplex stainless steel

We revealed the effects of hydrogen on the microstructural evolution and passive film properties of a 2205 duplex stainless steel by the joint use of electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD), electron channeling contrast imaging (ECCI), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and electrochemical measurements. The microstructural analysis results show that effects of hydrogen on the two phases are different: (i) in austenite, stacking faults are induced by hydrogen, and (ii) in ferrite, hydrogen causes an increase of the dislocation density. The XPS analysis revealed that hydrogen reduced the occurrence of Cr₂O₃ and nitrogen in the passive film, leading to the reduction of their overall thickness. Furthermore, for the first time we demonstrated that the hydrogen release time plays an important role in the electrochemical behavior of the hydrogen charged steel.     

Synthesis and characterization of Pd catalysts supported on carbon microspheres for formic acid oxidation

A facile preparation of Pd catalyst using carbon microspheres as support was introduced in this paper. The carbon microspheres were prepared with a simple method from dextrose via hydrothermal process and used as catalysts support for formic acid electrooxidation. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analyses revealed that the as-prepared face-centered cubic crystal Pd nanoparticles were well-dispersed on the surface of the carbon microspheres, and the mean diameter of the nanoparticles was 8.8 nm. The effect of the support on the catalyst performance for formic acid electrooxidation was studied. The as-prepared catalyst showed the enhanced electrochemical surface active area and the higher electrocatalytic activity towards formic acid oxidation compared with Pd/CNTs and Pd/XC-72 catalysts prepared at room temperature. Electrochemical analysis suggested that the carbon microspheres might be good candidates to be used as the supports of catalyst for formic acid electrochemical oxidation.     

Improved hydrogen production from formic acid on a Pd/C catalyst doped by potassium

The rate of hydrogen production from vapour-phase formic acid decomposition can be increased by 1-2 orders of magnitude by doping a Pd/C catalyst with potassium ions. Surface potassium formate and/or bicarbonate species could be involved in the rate-determining step of this reaction.     

Synthesis of highly dispersed Pd/C electro-catalyst with high activity for formic acid oxidation

In this study, we present a simple process to obtain highly dispersed palladium nanoparticles on Vulcan XC-72R carbon support without any protective agent. To obtain high metal loading Pd/C catalyst without any surfactant, we modified the polyol process by employing NH₃ species as a mediation to control the reaction pathway to avoid the precipitation of Pd(OH)₂, and hence the agglomeration of Pd nanoparticles. The obtained Pd/C sample was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscope (TEM) techniques. The results show that highly dispersed Pd/C catalyst with an average diameter of 3.0 nm could be obtained in this novel process. The activity of formic acid oxidation on this Pd/C catalyst was examined via cyclic voltammetry technique and it is found that the catalytic activity is greatly enhanced due to the reduced particle size and the improved dispersion of palladium nanoparticles on the carbon surface.     

Ensemble size estimation in formic acid oxidation on Bi-modified Pt(111)

The physical dimensions of ensemble structures formed by adsorbed Bi on Pt(111) were estimated and correlations were established between ensemble size and oxidation activity. Measurements were made by examining electrochemical scanning tunneling microscopy (EC-STM) images of Bi irreversibly adsorbed on Pt(111). Percentage coverages of Bi, CO, poison, and ensemble were determined by both EC-STM and cyclic voltammetry. As the fractional Bi coverage increased, from 0.03 to 0.21, the ensemble size decreased, from approximately 9 to 1 nm. Poison formation was inhibited at ensemble sizes less than 2 nm and the turnover frequency of formic acid was enhanced by a factor of 100–200. Bi is hypothesized to not only physically produce the ensembles, but may also chemically alter their electronic properties.     

Synthesis of hollow and nanoporous gold/platinum alloy nanoparticles and their electrocatalytic activity for formic acid oxidation

In this work, hollow Au/Pt alloy nanoparticles (NPs) with porous surfaces were synthesized in a two-step procedure. In the first step, tri-component Ag/Au/Pt alloy NPs were synthesized through the galvanic replacement reaction between Ag NPs and aqueous solutions containing a mixture of HAuCl₄ and H₂PtCl₄. In the second step, the Ag component was selectively dealloyed with nitric acid (HNO₃), resulting in hollow di-component Au/Pt alloy NPs with a porous surface morphology. The atomic ratio of Au to Pt in the NPs was easily tunable by controlling the molar ratio of the precursor solution (HAuCl₄ and H₂PtCl₆). Hollow, porous Au/Pt alloy NPs showed enhanced catalytic activity toward formic acid electrooxidation compared to the analogous pure Pt NPs. This improved activity can be attributable to the suppression of CO poisoning via the “ensemble” effect.     

Electrocatalytic oxidation of formic acid and methanol on Pt deposits on Au(111)

This work presents characteristics of Pt deposits on Au(111) obtained by the use of spontaneous deposition and investigated by electrochemical scanning tunneling microscopy (EC-STM). On such prepared and STM characterized Au(111)/Pt surfaces, we studied electrocatalytic oxidation of formic acid and methanol. We show that the first monatomic layer of Pt displays a (square root 3 x square root 3)R30 degrees surface structure, while the second layer is (1 x 1). After prolonged deposition, multilayer Pt deposits are formed selectively on Au(111) surface steps and are 1-20 nm wide and one to five layers thick. On the optimized Au(111)/Pt surface, formic acid oxidation rates are enhanced by a factor of 20 compared to those of pure Pt(111). The (square root 3 x square root 3)R30 degrees-Pt yields very low methanol oxidation rates, but the rates increase significantly with further Pt growth.     

Highly dispersed 1 nm Pt Pd bimetallic clusters for formic acid electrooxidation through a CO-free mechanism

Direct formic acid fuel cell(DFAFC) is an important research project in clean energy field.However,commercialization of DFAFC is still largely limited by the available catalysts with unsatisfied activity,durability and cost for formic acid electrooxidation(FAEO).Using Pt-and Pd-based nanoclusters as electrocatalysts is a particularly promising strategy to solve the above problem,but two attendant problems need to be solved firstly.(Ⅰ) The controllable synthesis of practicable and stable sub-2 nm...     

聚苯胺对钯催化甲酸电氧化反应的促进作用

钯基纳米材料是甲酸电氧化反应的优良催化剂.本工作制备了两个系列钯基催化剂,并考察了聚苯胺对钯上甲酸电氧化反应的助催化作用.一种是以聚苯胺为基底,在其表面电沉积钯纳米粒子,制得nPANI/Pd催化剂(n表示聚合苯胺的循环数);另一种是直接在商业Pd/C催化剂表面电聚合苯胺,制得Pd/C/nPANI催化剂.结果显示,聚苯胺单独存在时对甲酸电氧化反应没有催化活性,但其可对钯上甲酸电氧化反应呈现明显的促进作用,且促进作用与聚苯胺的厚度(聚合循环数)密切相关.在两个系列催化剂中,15PANI/Pd和Pd/C/20PANI显示出最高的催化性能.15PANI/Pd中钯的质量比催化活性是纯钯催化剂的7.5倍; Pd/C/20PANI中钯的质量比催化活性和本征催化活性分别是商业Pd/C催化剂的2.3和3.3倍.钯催化性能的提升与聚苯胺和钯纳米粒子间的电子效应有关.     

在氢气氧化反应中具有高催化活性的Pt修饰的Ni/C纳米催化剂

随着能源需求的进一步增多和化石能源的大幅度减少,新型环境友好型能源成为近十年许多科研工作者的着力点.其中,燃料电池作为一种高效率、高能量密度、环境友好型能源引起了人们的关注.氢氧燃料电池研究最早、应用最早,具有得天独厚的优势.此外,由于近些年CO2的大量排放,造成了严重的温室效应,其处理也是一个严峻的课题.谢和平课题组提出的CO2矿化发电,不仅可以处理CO2,也可以作为新型能源应用,前景广阔.而不论是氢氧燃料电池还是CO2矿化电池,其阳极反应均为氢气氧化反应(HOR).Pt作为目前仍无法取代的HOR反应催化剂,不仅全球储量有限且价格昂贵,所以,寻找一种价格低廉催化性能好的催化剂成为这些新能源进一步应用的重要课题之一.对此人们进行了大量探索,主要包括尝试不同的载体、改变金属颗粒尺寸形貌等.其中,伽伐尼置换法对于制备纳米核壳结构催化剂以及降低金属颗粒尺寸、增加比表面积均有很大帮助.基于此,本文采用浸渍法和伽伐尼置换法制备了用Pt修饰Ni/C的纳米催化剂,使得纳米级活性金属均匀分散在载体上,加之双金属效应,相对于纯Pt/C催化剂,催化能力提高.浸渍法制得Ni/C前驱体,再将其置于纯乙醇中,用H2PtCl6作为Pt源置换部分Ni,得到Pt修饰的Ni/C催化剂.XRD射线衍射测试结果表明,一般的PtNi合金由于晶格相互影响,只会出现Pt的偏移衍射峰,而该催化剂均出现明显的PtNi两种元素的衍射峰,PtNi晶格互相没有影响.循环伏安法测试结果表明,在Pt-Ni/C系列催化剂中,Pt和Ni含量不同,其电化学活性面积(ECSA)各不相同.在金属总含量一致的前提下,随着Pt含量的增加,催化剂ECSA先增加后减小,最大值为66.90 m2/g,是市售Pt/C(54.12 m2/g)的1.24倍.Tafel测试HOR/HER反应交换电流密度的结果与ECSA结果一致,而Pt-Ni/C催化剂的交换电流密度最高可达485.45 A/g,是市售Pt/C(301.91 A/g)的1.6倍.对性能较好的Pt-Ni/C催化剂进行了表征,X射线光电子能谱结果发现,该催化剂载体上只有少部分Ni的氧化物裸露在表面,大部分为Pt.而透射电镜结果表明,该催化剂纳米级活性金属颗粒尺寸一致,且均匀地分散在载体表面.综合催化剂表征和电化学性能测试结果可知,使用伽伐尼置换法得到的Pt修饰的Ni/C催化剂分散均匀、颗粒尺寸小,且由于Pt作为主要催化活性金属分散于催化剂表面,而Ni作为辅助金属并不直接参与HOR反应,使得该催化剂具有较高的电化学活性.在Pt含量较少时,由于有很多Ni在催化剂表面,且催化层厚度较大,故催化活性一般.随着Pt含量的增加和Ni含量的减少,当催化剂表面只有很少Ni及相关化合物时,由于Pt比表面积大,故活性最高.当Pt含量继续增加时,Pt在Ni表面厚度增加,很多Pt被包裹,故催化活性再次降低.     

Controlled deposition of Pt on Au nanorods and their catalytic activity towards formic acid oxidation

Platinum submonolayer decorated gold nanorods with controlled coverage were prepared by the addition of Au nanorods into the growth solution of Pt in the presence of NH₂OH · HCl as the growth agent. The properties of Au nanorods decorated by Pt submonolayer were investigated by various techniques including transimission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and electrochemical methods. The Pt decorated Au nanorods on carbon black showed significantly higher activity on formic acid electrooxidation than the conventional Pt/C catalysts. They showed different reaction path of formic acid electrooxidation by suppressing the formation of poisoning intermediate CO.     

Augmented formic acid electro-oxidation at a co-electrodeposited Pd/Au nanoparticle catalyst

In this study, the formic acid electro-oxidation reaction (FAEOR) was catalyzed on a Pd-Au co-electrodeposited binary catalyst. The kinetics of FAEOR were intensively impacted by changing the Pd²⁺:Au³⁺ molar ratio in the deposition medium. The Pd₁-Au₁ catalyst (for which the Pd²⁺:Au³⁺ molar ratio was 1:1) acquired the highest activity with a peak current density for the direct FAEOR (I_p) of 4.14 mA cm^?2 (ca. 13- times higher than that (ca. 0.33 mA cm^?2) of the pristine Pd₁-Au₀ catalyst). It also retained the highest stability that was denoted in fulfilling ca. 0.292 mA cm^?2 (ca. 19-times higher than 0.015 mA cm^?2 of the pristine Pd₁-Au₀ catalyst) after 3600 s of continuous electrolysis at 0.05 V. The CO stripping and impedance measurements confirmed, respectively, the geometrical and electronic enhancements in the proposed catalyst.