Bismuth Oxyhydroxide-Pt Inverse Interface for Enhanced Methanol Electrooxidation Performance.

Wang, Xuchun; Xie, Miao; Lyu, Fenglei; Yiu, Yun-Mui; Wang, Zhiqiang; Chen, Jiatang; Chang, Lo-Yueh; Xia, Yujian et al. · Nano Lett · 2020

basic_science · Level V

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Abstract

Developing efficient Pt-based electrocatalysts for the methanol oxidation reaction (MOR) is of pivotal importance for large-scale application of direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs), but Pt suffers from severe deactivation brought by the carbonaceous intermediates such as CO. Here, we demonstrate the formation of a bismuth oxyhydroxide (BiO<sub><i>x</i></sub>(OH)<sub><i>y</i></sub>)-Pt inverse interface via electrochemical reconstruction for enhanced methanol oxidation. By combining density functional theory calculations, X-ray absorption spectroscopy, ambient pressure X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and electrochemical characterizations, we reveal that the BiO<sub><i>x</i></sub>(OH)<sub><i>y</i></sub>-Pt inverse interface can induce the electron deficiency of neighboring Pt; this would result in weakened CO adsorption and strengthened OH adsorption, thereby facilitating the removal of the poisonous intermediates and ensuring the high activity and good stability of Pt<sub>2</sub>Bi sample. This work provides a comprehensive understanding of the inverse interface structure and deep insight into the active sites for MOR, offering great opportunities for rational fabrication of efficient electrocatalysts for DMFCs.