BCC-Phased PdCu Alloy as a Highly Active Electrocatalyst for Hydrogen Oxidation in Alkaline Electrolytes

• DOI: 10.1021/jacs.8b08356
• Publication Date: 2018-11-06T02:30:12Z
• Authors: Yang Qiu; Le Xin; Yawei Li; Ian T. McCrum; Fangmin Guo; Tao Ma; Yang Ren; Qi Liu; Lin Zhou; Shuang Gu; Michael J. Janik; Wenzhen Li
• Keywords: Bimetallic strip; Exchange current density

Anion-exchange membrane fuel cells hold promise to greatly reduce cost by employing nonprecious metal cathode catalysts. More efficient anode catalysts are needed, however, improve the sluggish hydrogen oxidation reaction in alkaline electrolytes. We report that BCC-phased PdCu alloy nanoparticles, synthesized via a wet-chemistry method with critical thermal treatment, exhibit up 20-fold HOR improvement both mass and specific activities, compared FCC-phased counterparts. activity of is 4 times or 2 Pd/C Pt/C, respectively, same electrolyte. In situ HE-XRD measurements reveal transformation crystalline structure favors, at low annealing temperature (<300 °C), formation FCC structure. At higher temperatures (300-500 BCC dominates NPs. Density functional theory (DFT) computations unravel similar H binding strength much stronger OH surface (cf. surface), which simultaneously close those Pt surfaces. The synergistic optimization strengths responsible for enhancement on PdCu, could serve as an catalyst anion-exchange cells. This work might open new route develop from perspective transformation.