Porous Ni@Pt Core‐Shell Nanotube Array Electrocatalyst with High Activity and Stability for Methanol Oxidation

Bimetallic core‐shell nanostructures are emerging as more important materials than monometallic nanostructures, and have much more interesting potential applications in various fields, including catalysis and electronics. In this work, we demonstrate the facile synthesis of core‐shell nanotube array catalysts consisting of Pt thin layers as the shells and Ni nanotubes as the cores. The porous Ni@Pt core‐shell nanotube arrays were fabricated by ZnO nanorod‐array template‐assisted electrodeposition, and they represent a new class of nanostructures with a high electrochemically active surface area of 50.08 m² (g Pt)^?1, which is close to the value of 59.44 m² (g Pt)^?1 for commercial Pt/C catalysts. The porous Ni@Pt core‐shell nanotube arrays also show markedly enhanced electrocatalytic activity and stability for methanol oxidation compared with the commercial Pt/C catalysts. The attractive performances exhibited by these prepared porous Ni@Pt core‐shell nanotube arrays make them promising candidates as future high‐performance catalysts for methanol electrooxidation. The facile method described herein is suitable for large‐scale, low‐cost production, and significantly lowers the Pt loading, and thus, the cost of the catalysts.     

A general and high-yield galvanic displacement approach to Au-M (M = Au, Pd, and Pt) core-shell nanostructures with porous shells and enhanced electrocatalytic performances

In this work, we utilize the galvanic displacement synthesis and make it a general and efficient method for the preparation of Au-M (M = Au, Pd, and Pt) core-shell nanostructures with porous shells, which consist of multilayer nanoparticles. The method is generally applicable to the preparation of Au-Au, Au-Pd, and Au-Pt core-shell nanostructures with typical porous shells. Moreover, the Au-Au isomeric core-shell nanostructure is reported for the first time. The lower oxidation states of Au(I), Pd(II), and Pt(II) are supposed to contribute to the formation of porous core-shell nanostructures instead of yolk-shell nanostructures. The electrocatalytic ethanol oxidation and oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) performance of porous Au-Pd core-shell nanostructures are assessed as a typical example for the investigation of the advantages of the obtained core-shell nanostructures. As expected, the Au-Pd core-shell nanostructure indeed exhibits a significantly reduced overpotential (the peak potential is shifted in the positive direction by 44?mV and 32?mV), a much improved CO tolerance (I(f)/I(b) is 3.6 and 1.63 times higher), and an enhanced catalytic stability in comparison with Pd nanoparticles and Pt/C catalysts. Thus, porous Au-M (M = Au, Pd, and Pt) core-shell nanostructures may provide many opportunities in the fields of organic catalysis, direct alcohol fuel cells, surface-enhanced Raman scattering, and so forth.     

Heterogeneous Au-Pt nanostructures with enhanced catalytic activity toward oxygen reduction

Heterogeneous Au-Pt nanostructures have been synthesized using a sacrificial template-based approach. Typically, monodispersed Au nanoparticles are prepared first, followed by Ag coating to form core-shell Au-Ag nanoparticles. Next, the galvanic replacement reaction between Ag shells and an aqueous H(2)PtCl(6) solution, whose chemical reaction can be described as 4Ag + PtCl(6)(2-)→ Pt + 4AgCl + 2Cl(-), is carried out at room temperature. Pure Ag shell is transformed into a shell made of Ag/Pt alloy by galvanic replacement. The AgCl formed simultaneously roughens the surface of alloy Ag-Pt shells, which can be manipulated to create a porous Pt surface for oxygen reduction reaction. Finally, Ag and AgCl are removed from core-shell Au-Ag/Pt nanoparticles using bis(p-sulfonatophenyl)phenylphosphane dihydrate dipotassium salt to produce heterogeneous Au-Pt nanostructures. The heterogeneous Au-Pt nanostructures have displayed superior catalytic activity towards oxygen reduction in direct methanol fuel cells because of the electronic coupling effect between the inner-placed Au core and the Pt shell.     

Advanced Catalytic Performance of Au–Pt Double‐Walled Nanotubes and Their Fabrication through Galvanic Replacement Reaction

Bimetallic tubular nanostructures have been the focus of intensive research as they have very interesting potential applications in various fields including catalysis and electronics. In this paper, we demonstrate a facile method for the fabrication of Au–Pt double‐walled nanotubes (Au–Pt DWNTs). The DWNTs are fabricated through the galvanic displacement reaction between Ag nanowires and various metal ions, and the Au–Pt DWNT catalysts exhibit high active catalytic performances toward both methanol electro‐oxidation and 4‐nitrophenol (4‐NP) reduction. First, they have a high electrochemically active surface area of 61.66 m² g^?1, which is close to the value of commercial Pt/C catalysts (64.76 m² g^?1), and the peak current density of Au–Pt DWNTs in methanol oxidation is recorded as 138.25 mA mg^?1, whereas those of Pt nanotubes, Au/Pt nanotubes (simple mixture), and commercial Pt/C are 24.12, 40.95, and120.65 mA mg^?1, respectively. The Au–Pt DWNTs show a markedly enhanced electrocatalytic activity for methanol oxidation compared with the other three catalysts. They also show an excellent catalytic performance in comparison with common Au nanotubes for 4‐nitrophenol (4‐NP) reduction. The attractive performance exhibited by these prepared Au–Pt DWNTs can be attributed to their unique structures, which make them promising candidates as high‐performance catalysts.     

High‐Efficiency Encapsulation of Pt Nanoparticles into the Channel of Carbon Nanotubes as an Enhanced Electrocatalyst for Methanol Oxidation

Pt‐based nanostructures serving as anode catalysts for the methanol oxidation reaction (MOR) have been widely studied for many years. Nevertheless, challenging issues such as poor reaction kinetics and the short‐term stability of the MOR are the main drawbacks of such catalysts and limit their applications. Herein, we have developed a facile approach to encapsulate Pt nanoparticles (NPs) inside the nanochannels of porous carbon nanotubes (CNTs; Pt‐in‐CNTs) as a new enhanced electrocatalytic material. The as‐prepared CNTs offer simultaneously ordered diffusion channels for ions and a confinement effect for the NPs, which both facilitate the promotion of catalytic kinetics and avoid the Ostwald ripening of Pt NPs, thus leading to high activity and durable cycle life as an anode catalyst for MOR. This work provides a new approach for enhancing the stability and activity by optimizing the structure of the catalyst, and the Pt‐in‐CNTs represent the most durable catalysts ever reported for MOR.     

Facile Synthesis of Quasi‐One‐Dimensional Au/PtAu Heterojunction Nanotubes and Their Application as Catalysts in an Oxygen‐Reduction Reaction

An intermediate‐template‐directed method has been developed for the synthesis of quasi‐one‐dimensional Au/PtAu heterojunction nanotubes by the heterogeneous nucleation and growth of Au on Te/Pt core–shell nanostructures in aqueous solution. The synthesized porous Au/PtAu bimetallic nanotubes (PABNTs) consist of porous tubular framework and attached Au nanoparticles (AuNPs). The reaction intermediates played an important role in the preparation, which fabricated the framework and provided a localized reducing agent for the reduction of the Au and Pt precursors. The Pt₇Au PABNTs showed higher electrocatalytic activity and durability in the oxygen‐reduction reaction (ORR) in 0.1 M HClO₄ than porous Pt nanotubes (PtNTs) and commercially available Pt/C. The mass activity of PABNTs was 218 % that of commercial Pt/C after an accelerated durability test. This study demonstrates the potential of PABNTs as highly efficient electrocatalysts. In addition, this method provides a facile strategy for the synthesis of desirable hetero‐nanostructures with controlled size and shape by utilizing an intermediate template.     

Multiply twinned Pt-Pd nanoicosahedrons as highly active electrocatalysts for methanol oxidation

Bimetallic Pt-Pd nanoicosahedrons (NIs) with multiple {111} twins were obtained through a facile one-pot hydrothermal synthesis in a high shape selectivity of 82%. The {111}-enclosed NIs exhibited superior electrocatalytic activities to {111}-enclosed Pt-Pd nanotetrahedrons as well as commercial Pt catalysts (Pt black and Pt/C) for methanol oxidation.     

One-step synthesis of carbon-supported Pd–Pt alloy electrocatalysts for methanol tolerant oxygen reduction

A facile, one-step reduction route was developed to synthesize Pd-rich carbon-supported Pd–Pt alloy electrocatalysts of different Pd/Pt atomic ratios. As-prepared Pd–Pt/C catalysts exhibit a single phase fcc structure and an expansion lattice parameter. Comparison of the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) on the Pd–Pt/C alloy catalysts indicates that the Pd₃Pt₁/C bimetallic catalyst exhibits the highest ORR activity among all the Pd–Pt alloy catalysts and shows a comparative ORR activity with the commercial Pt/C catalyst. Moreover, all the Pd–Pt alloy catalysts exhibited much higher methanol tolerance during the ORR than the commercial Pt/C catalyst. High methanol tolerance of the Pd–Pt alloy catalysts could be attributed to the weak adsorption of methanol induced by the composition effect, to the presence of Pd atoms and to the formation of Pd-based alloys.     

Pt修饰的Ni/C催化剂电催化氧化乙醇性能

采用两步还原法制备了Pt修饰的Ni/C催化剂(Ni@Pt/C),并应用X射线衍射和透射电子显微镜对催化剂进行了表征.结果表明,载体上催化剂粒子呈两相复合结构,具有较好的分散性,平均粒径为4.4 nm.电化学测试表明,Ni@Pt/C催化氧化乙醇的活性电流高达0.37A/mg,是商业Pt/C催化剂的2.33倍,PtNi/C...     

Synthesis of ultrathin FePtPd nanowires and their use as catalysts for methanol oxidation reaction

We report a facile synthesis of ultrathin (2.5 nm) trimetallic FePtPd alloy nanowires (NWs) with tunable compositions and controlled length (<100 nm). The NWs were made by thermal decomposition of Fe(CO)(5) and sequential reduction of Pt(acac)(2) (acac = acetylacetonate) and Pd(acac)(2) at temperatures from 160 to 240 °C. These FePtPd NWs showed composition-dependent catalytic activity and stability for methanol oxidation reaction. Among FePtPd and FePt NWs as well as Pd, Pt, and PtPd nanoparticles (NPs) studied in 0.2 M methanol and 0.1 M HClO(4) solution, the Fe(28)Pt(38)Pd(34) NWs showed the highest activity, with their mass current density reaching 488.7 mA/mg Pt and peak potential for methanol oxidation decreasing to 0.614 V from 0.665 V (Pt NP catalyst). The NW catalysts were also more stable than the NP catalysts, with the Fe(28)Pt(38)Pd(34) NWs retaining the highest mass current density (98.1 mA/mg Pt) after a 2 h current-time test at 0.4 V. These trimetallic NWs are a promising new class of catalyst for methanol oxidation reaction and for direct methanol fuel cell applications.     

Ultralong PtPd Alloyed Nanowires Anchored on Graphene for Efficient Methanol Oxidation Reaction

The rational synthesis of Pt-based alloyed nanowires still remains a great challenge because of the different reduction potentials between Pt and another metal and the intrinsic feature of isotropic growth in face-centered cubic (fcc) structured Pt. In this work, PtPd alloyed nanowires with ultrahigh aspect ratio anchored on graphene (PtPd NWs/graphene) were synthesized by a facile solvothermal method without the use of any templates or surfactants. Due to the integration of ultralong PtPd nanowires and stable graphene support, PtPd NWs/graphene exhibited outstanding electrochemical activity toward methanol oxidation reaction (MOR) in comparison with pure Pt NWs/graphene and commercial Pt/C catalysts. Meanwhile, PtPd NWs/graphene had a much higher current density than Pt NWs/graphene and commercial Pt/C catalysts at a constant potential for 7200s in alkaline methanol solution. Moreover, after 1000 cycles of durability testing, PtPd NWs/graphene retained 89.2% of its initial mass activity, much superior to the 63.7% retained for commercial Pt/C.     

Pt-decorated PdCo@Pd/C core-shell nanoparticles with enhanced stability and electrocatalytic activity for the oxygen reduction reaction

A simple method for the preparation of PdCo@Pd core-shell nanoparticles supported on carbon based on an adsorbate-induced surface segregation effect has been developed. The stability of these PdCo@Pd nanoparticles and their electrocatalytic activity for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) were enhanced by decoration with a small amount of Pt deposited via a spontaneous displacement reaction. The facile method described herein is suitable for large-scale, lower-cost production and significantly lowers the Pt loading and thus the cost. The as-prepared PdCo@Pd and Pd-decorated PdCo@Pd nanocatalysts have a higher methanol tolerance than Pt/C in the ORR and are promising cathode catalysts for fuel cell applications.     

Carbon-supported Pt^Ag nanostructures as cathode catalysts for oxygen reduction reaction

Pt(m)^Ag nanostructures (m being the atomic Pt/Ag ratio, m = 0.1-0.6) were prepared by reflux citrate reduction of PtCl(6)(2-) ions in aqueous solution containing colloidal Ag (6.3 ± 3.9 nm). A distinct alloying of Pt with Ag was detected due to an involvement of the galvanic replacement reaction between PtCl(6)(2-) and metallic Ag colloids. The nanostructure transformed from a structure with an Ag-core and an alloyed PtAg-shell to a hollow PtAg alloy structure with the increase in m. Compared to a commercial E-TEK Pt/C catalyst, the catalytic performance of Pt in the Pt(m)^Ag/C samples for the cathode oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) strongly correlated with the electronic structure of Pt, as a consequence of varied Pt dispersion and Pt-Ag interaction. With either H(2)SO(4) or KOH as an electrolyte, Pt in the Pt(m)^Ag nanostructures with a relatively high m (≥0.4) showed significantly enhanced intrinsic activity whereas Pt in those catalysts with low m (≤0.2) appeared less active than the Pt/C catalyst. These data are used to discuss the role of electronic structure and geometric effects of Pt toward ORR.     

Core-shell Ag–Pt nanoparticles: A versatile platform for the synthesis of heterogeneous nanostructures towards catalyzing electrochemical reactions

Heterogeneous nanostructures that are defined as a hybrid structure consisting of two or more nanoscale domains with distinct chemical compositions or physical characteristics have attracted intense efforts in recent years. In this review, we focus on the introduction of a number of heterogeneous nanostructures derived using core-shell Ag–Pt nanoparticles as starting materials, including hollow, dimeric and composite structures and also highlight their application in catalyzing electrochemical reactions, e.g., methanol oxidation reaction and oxygen reduction reaction. This review not only shows the capability of core-shell Ag–Pt nanoparticles in producing various heterogeneous nanostructures as starting templates, but also highlights the structural design or electronic interaction that endows the heterogeneous nanostructures with enhanced catalytic properties either in methanol oxidation or in oxygen reduction. Further, we also make some perspectives for more heterogeneous nanostructures that may be prepared by using core-shell Ag–Pt particles or their derivatives so as to offer the readers the opportunities and challenges in this field.     

Ultrathin-Polyaniline-Coated Pt–Ni Alloy Nanooctahedra for the Electrochemical Methanol Oxidation Reaction

Controlling the morphology and composition of nanocatalysts constructed from metals and conductive polymers has attracted attention owing to their great potential for the development of high-efficiency catalysts for various catalytic applications. Herein, a facile synthetic approach for ultrathin-polyaniline-coated Pt–Ni nanooctahedra (Pt-Ni@PANI hybrids) with controllable PANI shell thicknesses is presented. Pt–Ni nanooctahedra/C catalysts enclosed by PANI shells with thicknesses from 0.6 to 2.4 nm were obtained by fine control over the amount of aniline. The various Pt-Ni@PANI hybrids exhibited electrocatalytic activity toward the methanol oxidation reaction that is highly dependent on the thickness of the PANI shell. Pt-Ni@PANI hybrids with the thinnest PANI shells (0.6 nm) showed markedly improved electrocatalytic performance for the methanol oxidation reaction compared with Pt-Ni@PANI hybrids with thicker PANI shells, Pt–Ni nanooctahedra/C, and commercial Pt/C due to synergistic benefits of ultrathin PANI shells and Pt–Ni alloy.     

A Highly Efficient,Clean‐Surface,Porous Platinum Electrocatalyst and the Inhibition Effect of Surfactants on Catalytic Activity

Herein we report a gentle seedless and surfactant‐free method for the preparation of clean‐surface porous platinum nanoparticles. In terms of electrocatalytic CH₃OH oxidation, the clean‐surface porous platinum exhibited better performance than platinum nanoparticles and a commercial Pt/C catalyst. The porous nanostructures exhibited 2.26‐fold higher mass activity and 2.8‐fold greater specific activity than the Pt/C catalyst. More importantly, three typical surfactants, cetyltrimethylammonium bromide/chloride (CTAB/C), poly(vinylpyrrolidone), and sodium dodecyl sulfate, were chosen to study the inhibition effect of surfactants on electrocatalytic performance. It was observed that the surfactants led to a clear selective decrease in electrocatalytic performance. CTAB/C inhibited the catalytic activity the most due to the stronger interaction between the OH‐enriched platinum surface and the positively charged molecules. Thus, this work indicates that these clean‐surface porous platinum nanoparticles may be used as efficient catalysts for direct methanol fuel cells and provides a greater understanding of the inhibition effects of surfactants on catalytic activity.     

Porous Pt-Ni-P composite nanotube arrays: highly electroactive and durable catalysts for methanol electrooxidation

Porous Pt-Ni-P composite nanotube arrays (NTAs) on a conductive substrate in good solid contact are successfully synthesized via template-assisted electrodeposition and show high electrochemical activity and long-term stability for methanol electrooxidation. Hollow nanotubular structures, porous nanostructures, and synergistic electronic effects of various elements contribute to the high electrocatalytic performance of porous Pt-Ni-P composite NTA electrocatalysts.     

碳化钨-石墨烯插层复合物的制备及作为甲醇氧化助催化剂的性能研究

直接甲醇燃料电池(DMFCs)作为一种环境友好、高效的新能源,对解决世界目前面临的“能源危机”与“环境危机”这两大问题有着至关重要的意义,具有较广阔的应用前景.目前,甲醇氧化催化剂仍然以 Pt基为主,但是 Pt价格昂贵,且容易受甲醇氧化中间产物的毒化,从而影响了 DMFCs的商业化进程.碳化钨(WC)作为非贵金属催化剂,在催化方面具有类铂的性能.在 WC上负载适量的 Pt,可以通过两者的协同效应加强催化剂的抗 CO中毒能力.但是,由于 WC的导电性能不佳,比表面积较小,因此寻找合适的载体显得尤为必要.在碳载体中,石墨烯(RGO)具有优良的导电性以及独特的片层结构,是电催化剂的理想载体.以 RGO为载体, WC为插层物质制备的 WC-RGO插层复合物具有化学稳定性好、电导率高且电化学活性面积大等优势.但是,由于石墨烯表面光滑且呈惰性,同时使用传统的碳化方法制备的碳化钨颗粒较大,因此,制备较小颗粒且分散均匀的 WC-RGO插层复合物具有较大难度.一般以偏钨酸铵和氧化石墨烯(GO)为前驱体制备 WC-RGO插层复合物,但是由于偏钨酸根和 GO都带负电,因此不能成功地将偏钨酸根引入到石墨烯的片层结构中,造成 WC-RGO插层复合物组装上的困难.本文采用硫脲成功地合成了具有高分散性 WC纳米颗粒插层在少层 RGO里的 WC-RGO插层复合物.硫脲((NH2)2CS)作为阴离子接受器,具有较强的结合阴离子形成稳定复合物的能力,同时它也是合成具有片层结构的过渡金属硫化物的原料之一.因此在 WC-RGO插层复合物组装过程中,硫脲既作为锚定及诱导剂,又是制备片层二硫化钨(WS2)的硫源.材料具体制备方法如下：首先利用浸渍法,将偏钨酸根阴离子([H2W12O40]6?)牵引到(NH2)2CS改性过的 GO上形成[H2W12O40]6?-(NH2)2CS-GO前驱体;然后将前驱体放入管式炉中还原碳化,前驱体先反应生成 WS2;由于 WS2自身的2D片层结构,反应中可以得到 WS2-RGO插层复合物,接着原位碳化生成 WC-RGO插层复合物.碳化钨-石墨烯负载铂电催化剂(Pt/WC-RGO)通过微波辅助法制得,并采用 X射线衍射、扫描电子显微镜、透射电子显微镜及激光拉曼光谱等手段对其结构与形貌进行了表征.结果显示,在 WC-RGO插层复合物中, WC的平均粒径为1.5 nm, RGO的层数约为5层.在甲醇电氧化反应中,相比于商用 Pt/C催化剂, Pt/WC-RGO插层复合物催化剂具有更高的电化学活性面积(ECSA)和较高的峰电流密度(246.1 m2/g Pt,1364.7 mA/mg Pt),分别是 Pt/C的3.66和4.77倍.我们分别利用 CO溶出伏安法、计时电流法及加速耐久性试验法验证了 Pt/WC-RGO催化剂优秀的抗 CO中毒能力及稳定性. Pt/WC-RGO催化剂特殊的插层结构,在增加 WC与 Pt接触机会以加强协同作用的同时,促进了催化过程中质量及电荷的转移,因而具有比 Pt/C更高的催化活性.可见,通过制备WC-RGO插层复合物可降低 Pt用量,从而大大地降低燃料电池中电催化剂的成本.同时,我们使用的是一种高效,可大批量生产纳米材料的方法,有助于催化剂的商业化.     

Control growth of uniform platinum nanotubes and their catalytic properties for methanol electrooxidation

Uniform platinum nanotubes have been synthesized by directly mixing Ag nanowires and H₂PtCl₆ in saturated NaI solutions at room temperature. The crystal structure of the obtained Pt nanotube has been investigated in detail by field-emission scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and X-ray diffraction. Furthermore, their electrocatalytic behaviors for methanol oxidation in alkaline media have also been studied. Compared with conventional Pt/C catalysts, these hollow nanostructures possess high electrochemical active areas and demonstrate higher current densities.     

Direct Growth of Single‐Crystal Pt Nanowires on Sn@CNT Nanocable: 3D Electrodes for Highly Active Electrocatalysts

A newly designed and fabricated novel three dimensional (3D) nanocomposite composed of single‐crystal Pt nanowires (PtNW) and a coaxial nanocable support consisting of a tin nanowire and a carbon nanotube (Sn@CNT) is reported. This nanocomposite is fabricated by the synthesis of Sn@CNT nanocables by means of a thermal evaporation method, followed by the direct growth with PtNWs through a facile aqueous solution approach at room temperature. Electrochemical measurements demonstrate that the PtNW? Sn@CNT 3D electrode exhibits enhanced electrocatalytic performance in oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) for polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs), methanol oxidation (MOR) for direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs), and CO tolerance compared with commercial ETEK Pt/C catalyst made of Pt nanoparticles.