Chinese Journal of Applied Chemistry ›› 2022, Vol. 39 ›› Issue (4): 673-684.DOI: 10.19894/j.issn.1000-0518.210449

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Mesoporous Palladium⁃Boron Alloy Nanocatalysts: Synthesis and Performance in Methanol Oxidation Electrocatalysis

Li-Zhi SUN, Hao LYU, Xiao-Wen MIN, Ben LIU()   

  1. Key Laboratory of Green Chemistry and Technology of Ministry of Education,College of Chemistry,Sichuan University,Chengdu 610064,China
  • Received:2021-09-02 Accepted:2021-12-29 Published:2022-04-01 Online:2022-04-19
  • Contact: Ben LIU
  • About author:ben.liu@scu.edu.cn
  • Supported by:
    the Open Project of State Key Laboratory of Supramolecular Structure and Materials(sklssm2021011);the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities

Abstract:

Alloying is able to adjust physical and chemical properties of noble metal-based nanocatalysts, thus significantly improving their electrocatalytic performance. Although alloying has made many achievements in the past two decades, it still needs in-depth research and understanding to make full use of the advantages of nano-alloys. In this study, we reported a one-step solution-phase synthesis method to co-alloy metalloid boron (B) in palladium-based mesoporous nanocatalysts and further demonstrated their high electrochemical methanol oxidation reaction (MOR) performance in alkaline media. The best PdCuB mesoporous nanocatalyst shows excellent electrochemical MOR activity (2.48 A mgPd-1) and stability. The catalytic mechanism studies shows that B atom not only changes the electronic structure of Pd sites which directly weakens the adsorption strength of CO-based intermediates but also promotes the adsorption of OH which optimizes the oxidation of CO-based intermediates (the rete-determining step). Such a synergy remarkably improves the MOR kinetics and enhances its catalytic performance accordingly. Meanwhile, interstitially inserting metallic B atoms and structural mesoporosity also inhibites the physical Ostwald ripening process and thus stabilizes the catalyst.

Key words: Alloy, Mesoporosity, Methanol oxidation, Catalytic kinetics, Electrocatalysis

CLC Number: