Pd-Ru pair on Pt surface for promoting hydrogen oxidation and evolution in alkaline media.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 39174551.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1038/s41467-024-51480-w and PMC identifier 11341848.
- Licence recorded as CC BY-NC-ND.
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Abstract
Hydrogen oxidation reaction in alkaline media is critical for alkaline fuel cells and electrochemical ammonia compressors. The slow hydrogen oxidation reaction in alkaline electrolytes requires large amounts of scarce and expensive platinum catalysts. While transition metal decoration can enhance Pt catalysts' activity, it often reduces the electrochemical active surface area, limiting the improvement in Pt mass activity. Here, we enhance Pt catalysts' activity without losing surface-active sites by using a Pd-Ru pair. Utilizing a mildly catalytic thermal pyrolysis approach, Pd-Ru pairs are decorated on Pt, confirmed by extended X-ray absorption fine structure and high-angle annular dark-field scanning transmission electron microscopy. Density functional theory and ab-initio molecular dynamics simulations indicate preferred Pd and Ru dopant adsorption. The Pd-Ru decorated Pt catalyst exhibits a mass-based exchange current density of 1557 ± 85 A g<sup>-1</sup><sub>metal</sub> for hydrogen oxidation reaction, demonstrating superior performance in an ammonia compressor.