Electrocatalytic oxidation of small organic molecules in acid medium: Enhancement of activity of noble metal nanoparticles and their alloys by supporting or modifying them with metal oxides

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• 作者：Pawel J. Kulesza ; Izabela S. Pieta ; Iwona A. Rutkowska ; Anna Wadas ; Diana Marks ; Karolina Klak ; Leszek Stobinski ; James A. Cox
• 关键词：Electrocatalysis ; Oxidation of fuels ; Noble metal and alloyed nanoparticles ; Metal oxides ; Polyoxometallates
• 刊名：Electrochimica Acta
• 出版年：1 November, 2013
• 年：2013
• 卷：110
• 期：Complete
• 页码：474-483
• 全文大小：1889 K

文摘

Different approaches to enhancement of electrocatalytic activity of noble metal nanoparticles during oxidation of small organic molecules (namely potential fuels for low-temperature fuel cells such as methanol, ethanol and formic acid) are described. A physical approach to the increase of activity of catalytic nanoparticles (e.g. platinum or palladium) involves nanostructuring to obtain highly dispersed systems of high surface area. Recently, the feasibility of enhancing activity of noble metal systems through the formation of bimetallic (e.g. PtRu, PtSn, and PdAu) or even more complex (e.g. PtRuW, PtRuSn) alloys has been demonstrated. In addition to possible changes in the electronic properties of alloys, specific interactions between metals as well as chemical reactivity of the added components have been postulated. We address and emphasize here the possibility of utilization of noble metal and alloyed nanoparticles supported on robust but reactive high surface area metal oxides (e.g. WO₃, MoO₃, TiO₂, ZrO₂, V₂O₅, and CeO₂) in oxidative electrocatalysis. This paper concerns the way in which certain inorganic oxides and oxo species can act effectively as supports for noble metal nanoparticles or their alloys during electrocatalytic oxidation of hydrogen and representative organic fuels. Among important issues are possible changes in the morphology and dispersion, as well as specific interactions leading to the improved chemisorptive and catalytic properties in addition to the feasibility of long time operation of the discussed systems.