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At least 325 records · Page 18
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2017

Structure and reactivity of Pt–In intermetallic alloy nanoparticles: Highly selective catalysts for ethane dehydrogenation

The structure of silica supported Pt and Pt-In bimetallic catalysts with nominal In: Pt atomic ratios of 0.7 and 1.4 were here determined by in situ synchrotron XAS and XRD. It was seen that the addition of In led to the formation of two different intermetallic alloy phases. At an In: Pt ratio of 0.7 the Pt 3 In phase with a Cu 3 Au structure was formed. When the ratio was increased to 1.4 a shell of PtIn 2 having a CaF 2 structure formed around a core of Pt 3 In. The catalysts were tested for ethane dehydrogenation at 600° to determine the effect of alloying on ethylene selectivity and turnover rate (TOR). The monometallic Pt catalysts was 73% selective for ethylene and had an initial TOR of 0.7 s -1 . Both alloy catalysts were approximate to 100% selective for dehydrogenation and had higher initial TOR, 2.8 s -1 and 1.6 s -1 for In: Pt ratio of 0.7 and 1.4, respectively. The increase in selectivity is attributed to the elimination of large Pt ensembles resulting from geometric changes to the catalyst surface upon alloying. Electronic changes due to the formation of Pt-In bonds are thought to be responsible for the increases in TOR in the alloy catalysts.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2015

Efficient electrocatalytic performance of thermally exfoliated reduced graphene oxide-Pt hybrid

Highlights: • Synthesis of Pt–RGO nanohybrids of very high electrochemically active surface area. • Electrocatalytic activity-cum-stability: ∼10 times that of commercial Pt-C catalyst. • TEM confirms narrow size distribution and excellent dispersion of Pt nanoparticles. • SAED and XRD indicate (1 1 1) orientation of Pt nanoparticles. • Methanol oxidation EIS reveal decrease in charge transfer resistance with potential - Abstract: High quality thermally exfoliated reduced graphene oxide (RGO) nanosheets decorated with platinum nanocrystals have been synthesized using a simple environmentally benign process. The electrocatalytic behaviour of the Pt–RGO nanohybrid for methanol oxidation was studied using cyclic voltammetry, chronoamperometry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. High resolution transmission electron microscopy shows uniform dispersion of Pt nanoparticles of ∼2–4 nm size. X-ray diffraction and selected area diffraction studies reveal (1 1 1) orientation of the platinum nanoparticles. The cyclic voltammetry and chronoamperometry results indicate higher catalytic activity and stability for Pt–RGO compared to commercial Pt-C. The electrochemical active surface area of Pt–RGO (52.16 m{sup 2}/g) is found to be 1.5 times that of commercial Pt-C. Impedance spectroscopy shows different impedance behaviour at different potential regions, indicating change in methanol oxidation reaction mechanism with potential. The reversal of impedance pattern to the second quadrant, at potentials higher than ∼0.40 V, indicates change in the rate determining reaction.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2021

Improved Rate for the Oxygen Reduction Reaction in a Sulfuric Acid Electrolyte using a Pt(111) Surface Modified with Melamine

The feasible commercialization of alkaline, phosphoric acid and polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells depends on the development of oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) electrocatalysts with improved activity, stability, and selectivity. The rational design of surfaces to ensure these improved ORR catalytic requirements relies on the so-called "descriptors" (e.g., the role of covalent and noncovalent interactions on platinum surface active sites for ORR). Here, we demonstrate that through the molecular adsorption of melamine onto the Pt(111) surface [Pt(111)-M ad ], the activity can be improved by a factor of 20 compared to bare Pt(111) for the ORR in a strongly adsorbing sulfuric acid solution. Additionally, the M ad moieties act as "surface-blocking bodies," selectively hindering the adsorption of (bi)sulfate anions (well-known poisoning spectator of the Pt(111) active sites) while the ORR is unhindered. This modified surface is further demonstrated to exhibit improved chemical stability relative to Pt(111) patterned with cyanide species (CN ad ), previously shown by our group to have a similar ORR activity increase compared to bare Pt(111) in a sulfuric acid electrolyte, with Pt(111)-M ad retaining a greater than ninefold higher ORR activity relative to bare Pt(111) after extensive potential cycling as compared to a greater than threefold higher activity retained on a CN ad -covered Pt(111) surface. We suggest that the higher stability of the Pt(111)-M ad interface stems from melamine's ability to form intermolecular hydrogen bonds, which effectively turns the melamine molecules into larger macromolecular entities with multiple anchoring sites and thus more difficult to remove.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2020

Facile Synthesis of Pt Carbide Nanomaterials and Their Catalytic Applications

The development of transition metal carbides, for example, Pd carbide, Mo carbide, Co carbide, and Fe carbide for catalytic applications has attracted significant attention. Pt carbide has also been actively pursued, however, no catalytic examinations of Pt carbide have been performed, likely due to its extreme synthesis conditions. In this study, we report a facile synthesis of Pt carbide nanomaterials under mild conditions, for the first time, through ethane treatment of confined Pt nanoclusters under mild temperatures and ambient pressure. Such Pt carbide nanomaterials exhibit remarkable activity in catalytic hydrocarbon conversion, including ethane aromatization and acetylene hydrogenation, and are superior over supported Pt nanoparticles. Our work further reveals that Pt nanoclusters are favored in terms of forming Pt carbide when compared to isolated single Pt atoms and large Pt nanoparticles. This work provides a new approach to prepare metal carbide based catalytic materials through nanoclusters under mild conditions.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2024

Unveiling the Stability of Encapsulated Pt Catalysts Using Nanocrystals and Atomic Layer Deposition

Platinum exhibits desirable catalytic properties, but it is scarce and expensive. Optimizing its use in key applications such as emission control catalysis is important to reduce our reliance on such a rare element. Supported Pt nanoparticles (NPs) used in emission control systems deactivate over time because of particle growth in sintering processes. Here, in this work, we shed light on the stability against sintering of Pt NPs supported on and encapsulated in Al 2 O 3 using a combination of nanocrystal catalysts and atomic layer deposition (ALD) techniques. We find that small amounts of alumina overlayers created by ALD on preformed Pt NPs can stabilize supported Pt catalysts, significantly reducing deactivation caused by sintering, as previously observed by others. Combining theoretical and experimental insights, we correlate this behavior to the decreased propensity of oxidized Pt species to undergo Ostwald ripening phenomena because of the physical barrier imposed by the alumina overlayers. Furthermore, we find that highly stable catalysts can present an abundance of under-coordinated Pt sites after restructuring of both Pt particles and alumina overlayers at a high temperature (800 °C) in C 3 H 6 oxidation conditions. The enhanced stability significantly improves the Pt utilization efficiency after accelerated aging treatments, with encapsulated Pt catalysts reaching reaction rates more than two times greater than those of a control supported Pt catalyst.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2013

Tuning the Catalytic Activity of Ru@Pt Core-Shell Nanoparticles for the Oxygen Reduction Reaction by Varying the Shell Thickness

The kinetics of the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) was investigated in acid solutions on Pt monolayers that were deposited on carbon-supported Ru nanoparticles using the rotating disk electrode technique. The Pt mass and specific ORR activities greatly depend on the number of Pt monolayers, and the optimum activity occurs with two Pt monolayers. Density functional theory calculations showed that Pt overlayers destabilize O* and OH* with respect to pure Pt, leading to more favorable hydrogenation kinetics. However, with only a single Pt overlayer, the destabilization is too much, and O–O bond breaking becomes rate limiting. Two to three Pt monolayers supported on the Ru core of our nanoparticles lead to increased activity. This work demonstrates that one can modulate the ORR activity of Pt monolayers supported on other metals by eliminating a part of the ligand effect by increasing the thickness of the Pt shell on top of the supporting metal surface.

Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory↗
DOE OSTI2021

Strain and ligand effects in Pt-Ni alloys studied by valence-to-core X-ray emission spectroscopy

Experimental detection of the Pt 5d densities of states in the valence band is conducted on a series of Pt-Ni alloys by high energy resolution valence-to-core X-ray emission spectroscopy (VTC-XES) at the Pt L 3 -edge. VTC-XES measurements reveal that the Pt d-band centroid shifts away from the Fermi level upon dilution, accompanied by concentration-dependent Pt d-band width. The competition between the strain effect and ligand effect is observed experimentally for the first time. It is found that the d-band widths in Pt 3 Ni and PtNi are broader than that of Pt metal due to compressive strain which overcompensates the effect of dilution, while it is narrower in PtNi 3 where the ligand effect dominates. VTC-XES is demonstrated to be a powerful tool to study the Pt d-band contribution to the valence band of Pt-based bimetallic. The implication for the enhanced activity of Pt-Ni catalysts in oxygen reduction reaction is discussed.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2020

Sharp-tip enhanced catalytic CO oxidation by atomically dispersed Pt 1 /Pt 2 on a raised graphene oxide platform

Revealing structure–activity relationships of graphene-supported atomically dispersed transition metal catalysts is of key importance in catalysis chemistry and materials science. In this work, we report a first-principles theoretical study on O 2 activation and CO oxidation catalyzed by atomically dispersed Pt 1 /Pt 2 anchored on a raised graphene (Gr) platform. The unique sharp-tip structure of the protuberant graphene platform (carbon-tip) can collect extra polarization electrons on the Pt-tip, promoting electron transfer between the catalyst and adsorbates, and greatly enhancing the chemical activity. Higher carbon-tips on defective graphene oxide with a carbon vacancy (Gr-V) produce more polarization electrons, a more localized electric field, and a larger up-shift of the d-orbital center of the Pt-tip, resulting in better catalytic performance. The carbon-tip enhancement reduces the energy barrier for the CO oxidation on Pt 1 O 2 /Gr-V from 1.19 eV to 0.56 eV compared with Pt 1 on planar Gr. In addition, CO poisoning is significantly alleviated, with the CO poisoning rate Γ θ reduced from 2.00 eV to 0.52 eV. Moreover, a linear relationship between the activation barrier and the binding energy of adsorbates is found for various atomically dispersed Pt-tip catalysts on the raised graphene oxide platform. Importantly, the order of catalytic activity is consistent with the carbon-tip enhancement, i.e., Pt 1 O 2 /Gr-V > Pt 2 O 4 /Gr-V > Pt 1 O 2 /Gr > Pt 2 O 4 /Gr. These findings provide important guidance for rational design of atomically dispersed catalysts.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2021

Enhancing the inherent catalytic activity and stability of TiO 2 supported Pt single-atoms at CeO x –TiO 2 interfaces

Single-atoms (SAs) with atomically coordinated reaction centers are considered the next generation of catalysts that can exhibit exceptional catalytic efficiency. However, the general concern about thermodynamic vulnerabilities of SAs questions their practical value. Moreover, whether the inherent catalytic nature of SAs is superior compared with that of larger nanoparticles is still under debate. Here, we address two controversies by a comparative study using two catalysts: Pt/TiO 2 and Pt/CeO x –TiO 2 . Based on a hierarchical study of density functional theory, time-resolved catalysis performance test, in situ infrared spectroscopy, and operando X-ray absorption spectroscopy, we could unveil the catalytic nature of Pt-SAs and their stability. By utilizing the heterogeneous interface formed between TiO 2 supporting particles and CeO x clusters formed on the surface of TiO 2 , we preferentially synthesized Pt-SAs pinned at the CeO x –TiO 2 interfaces on CeO x –TiO 2 hybrid-oxide supports. The strong electronic coupling between the Pt-SAs and the Ce ions at the CeO x –TiO 2 interfaces enhanced the catalytic activity toward CO oxidation of Pt-SAs and improved the long-term stability under CO oxidation conditions. The CO oxidation activity of Pt-SAs stabilized at CeO x –TiO 2 was improved by 13.5 times at 200 °C compared with the Pt-SAs on TiO 2 . The results present how to easily improve the activity and stability of Pt-SAs using a simple interface control method. Moreover, we demonstrate that the catalytic activity and the stability of Pt-SAs can be monitored through the chemical state of the interfaces. Finally, our study provides comprehensive understanding about the catalytic nature as well as a novel strategy toward applications of Pt-SAs, enabling sustainable use of Pt in heterogeneous catalysts.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2014

Site selective substitution Pt for Ti in KTiOPO{sub 4}:Ga crystals revealed by electron paramagnetic resonance

Electron Paramagnetic Resonance at low temperatures has been used to characterize potassium titanyl phosphate (KTiOPO{sub 4}) single crystals grown by different techniques. Irradiation with 20 MeV electrons performed at room temperature and liquid nitrogen temperature caused an appearance of electrons and holes. Platinum impurities act as electron traps in KTiOPO{sub 4} creating Pt{sup 3+} centers. Two different Pt{sup 3+} centers were observed, Pt(A) and Pt(D). The Pt(A) centers are dominant in undoped samples, whereas Pt(D)—in Ga-doped KTP crystals. Superhyperfine structure registered for Pt(D) centers was attributed to interactions of platinum electrons with {sup 39}K and two {sup 31}P nuclei in their surroundings. In both Pt(A) and Pt(D) centers, Pt{sup 3+} ions substitute for Ti{sup 4+} ions, but with a preference to one of two electrically distinct crystallographic positions. The site selective substitution can be controlled by the Ga-doping.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2016

The Effect of Carbonate and pH on Hydrogen Oxidation and Oxygen Reduction on Pt-Based Electrocatalysts in Alkaline Media

In this paper, we investigated the performance of several carbon-supported Ru x Pt y electrocatalysts for their alkaline hydrogen oxidation and oxygen reduction performance in the presence of carbonate and compared their performance with monometallic, carbon-supported Pt. Our results indicate a strong dependence of HOR upon pH for the monometallic Pt catalysts (22 mV/pH) and a weak dependence upon pH for the Ru-containing electrocatalysts (3.7, 2.5, and 4.7 mV/pH on Ru 0.2 Pt 0.8 , Ru 0.4 Pt 0.6 , and Ru 0.8 Pt 0.2 , respectively). These results are consistent with our previous findings that illustrate a change in rds from electron transfer (on monometallic Pt) to dissociative hydrogen adsorption (on Ru x Pt y catalysts). Analysis of the kinetic currents to determine the rate-determining step via Tafel slope analysis provides additional data supporting this conclusion. There is no difference in the performance at comparable pH values in the presence or absence of carbonate on monometallic Pt indicating that water/hydroxide is the primary proton acceptor for alkaline HOR in 0.1 M KOH aqueous electrolyte. Finally, we observe no pH or carbonate dependence for the ORR on monometallic Pt.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2023

Improving Oxygen Reduction Performance of Surface-Layer-Controlled Pt–Ni Nano-Octahedra via Gaseous Etching

This study demonstrates an atomic composition manipulation on Pt–Ni nano-octahedra to enhance their electrocatalytic performance. By selectively extracting Ni atoms from the {111} facets of the Pt–Ni nano-octahedra using gaseous carbon monoxide at an elevated temperature, a Pt-rich shell is formed, resulting in an ~2 atomic layer Pt-skin. The surface-engineered octahedral nanocatalyst exhibits a significant enhancement in both mass activity (~1.8-fold) and specific activity (~2.2-fold) toward the oxygen reduction reaction compared with its unmodified counterpart. After 20,000 potential cycles of durability tests, the surface-etched Pt–Ni nano-octahedral sample shows a mass activity of 1.50 A/mg Pt , exceeding the initial mass activity of the unetched counterpart (1.40 A/mg Pt ) and outperforming the benchmark Pt/C (0.18 A/mg Pt ) by a factor of 8. DFT calculations predict this improvement with the Pt surface layers and support these experimental observations. Therefore, this surface-engineering protocol provides a promising strategy for developing novel electrocatalysts with improved catalytic features.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2020

Pt-Assisted Carbon Remediation of Mo2C Materials for CO Disproportionation

Using the CO disproportionation (Boudouard) reaction as a probe reaction, an in-depth analysis of temperature-programmed pulse response data shows that the addition of Pt to Mo2C mitigates deactivation of Mo active sites by acting as a carbon collector. CO2 production on Mo2C and Pt/Mo2C materials is dependent on both the activation energy and the CO surface concentration. Detailed plane-wave density functional theory calculations of the CO adsorption and disproportion reactions on Mo2C-supported Pt nanoparticles (NPs) are reported. The Mo2C was modeled by the ß-Mo2C (100) surface, and the Pt/Mo2C interface was modeled by the addition of 12 Pt atoms to the Mo2C (100) surface (12Pt@Mo2C). The potential energy surfaces of the Boudouard reaction were calculated on pure Mo2C, 12Pt@Mo2C, and Pt (111) surfaces. CO dissociation readily occurs on the Mo2C (100) surface, but not on the Pt (111) surface, with the former being exothermic and the latter being endothermic. At the Pt/Mo2C interface, CO dissociation is still exothermic, but with a larger energy barrier. The Boudouard reaction takes place on the Mo2C region, where CO2 is formed from a surface O atom dissociated from one CO molecule in reaction with another CO molecule, leaving one C atom on the surface. C adsorption is preferential on the Pt site in comparison to the Mo site. The supported Pt domains can collect the remaining C atoms, facilitating further CO2 formation on the active Mo sites. A Bader charge analysis shows that the surface metal-carbon bond is a mixture of covalent and ionic bonds, whereas the surface metal-oxygen bond is ionic. Electron localization function (ELF) and partial charge density calculations agree well with the Bader charge analysis. These computational results are consistent with experimental observations of the interaction of CO with Mo2C nanotube supported Pt domains in the transient regime under far from equilibrium conditions. The Boudouard reaction is an important side reaction, and the unexpected role found for Pt as a carbon collector, with Mo serving as a disproportionation site, provides a unique vantage point for understanding carbon and coke formation on catalytic materials.

Pt-assisted carbon remediation, Pt/Mo2C interface,↗
DOE OSTI2020

Supported Pt Nanoparticles on Mesoporous Titania for Selective Hydrogenation of Phenylacetylene

Semi-hydrogenation of alkynes to alkenes is one of the most important industrial reactions. However, it remains technically challenging to obtain high alkene selectivity especially at a high alkyne conversion because of kinetically favorable over hydrogenation. In this contribution, we show that supported ultrasmall Pt nanoparticles (2.5 nm) on mesoporous TiO2 (Pt@mTiO2) remarkably improve catalytic performance toward semi-hydrogenation of phenylacetylene. Pt@mTiO2 is prepared by co-assembly of Pt and Ti precursors with silica colloidal templates via an evaporation-induced self-assembly process, followed by further calcination for thermal decomposition of Pt precursors and crystallization of mTiO2 simultaneously. As-resultant Pt@mTiO2 discloses a high hydrogenation activity of phenylacetylene, which is 2.5 times higher than that of commercial Pt/C. More interestingly, styrene selectivity over Pt@mTiO2 remains 100% in a wide phenylacetylene conversion window (20–75%). The styrene selectivity is >80% even at 100% phenylacetylene conversion while that of the commercial Pt/C is 0%. The remarkable styrene selectivity of the Pt@mTiO2 is derived from the weakened styrene adsorption strength on the atop Pt sites as observed by diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy with CO as a probe molecule (CO-DRIFTS). Our strategy provides a new avenue for promoting alkyne to alkene transformation in the kinetically unfavorable region through novel catalyst preparation.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2019

Alkene Hydrosilylation on Oxide-Supported Pt-Ligand Single–Site Catalysts

Heterogeneous single-site catalysts (SSCs), widely regarded as promising next-generation catalysts, blend the easy recovery of traditional heterogeneous catalysts with desired features of homogeneous catalysts: high fraction of active sites and uniform metal centers. We previously reported the synthesis of Pt-ligand SSCs through a novel metal-ligand self-assembly method on MgO, CeO 2 , and Al 2 O 3 . Here, we present their applications in the industrially-relevant alkene hydrosilylation reaction, with 95 % yield achieved under mild conditions. As expected, they exhibit better metal utilization efficiency than traditional heterogeneous Pt catalysts. The comparison with commercial catalysts (Karstedt and Speier) reveals several advantages of these SSCs: higher selectivity, less colloidal Pt formation, less alkene isomerization/hydrogenation, and better tolerance towards functional groups in substrates. Despite some leaching, our catalysts exhibit satisfactory recyclability and the single-site structure remains intact on oxide supports after reaction. Pt single-sites were proved to be the main active sites rather than colloidal Pt formed during the reaction. An induction period is observed in which Pt sites are activated by Cl detachment and replacement by reactant alkenes. The most active species likely involves temporary detachment of Pt from ligand or support. Catalytic performance of Pt SSCs is sensitive to the ligand and support choices, enabling fine tuning of Pt sites. This work highlights the application of heterogeneous SSCs created by the novel metal-ligand self-assembly strategy in an industrially-relevant reaction. It also offers a potential catalyst for future industrial hydrosilylation applications with several improvements over current commercial catalysts.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2024

The atomic-level structure and stability of interfaces of Pt nanoparticles in alumina: An experimental and computational evaluation

The atomic-level structure of interfaces between Pt and a transition form of Al2O3 were studied using a combination of electron microscopy and first principles calculations. A model system of Pt nanoprecipitates in Al2O3 were formed in sapphire wafers via high-energy ion implantation of Pt followed by thermal annealing at 1000 °C in air. The Pt nanoparticles took the form of tetrahedra and truncated tetrahedra primarily bound by {111}Pt facets. The high prevalence of these facets motivated the development of density functional theory (DFT) based models of (111)Pt interfaces with six different chemical terminations of ( 2 ¯ 01 ) θ-alumina. The atomic-level structure of the Pt/Al2O3 interfaces was characterized with aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) and the experimental images were compared to STEM image simulations of the DFT models. The model interface with Pt bonded to oxygen-terminated θ-Al2O3, with the Pt located on top of the O and with an underlying layer of octahedral Al, provided the best match to the experimental images. This interfacial termination is also the most stable for the thermal annealing conditions used based on thermodynamic calculations of the interfacial energy as a function of temperature and oxygen partial pressure. This experimentally verified model provides a basis for improving models of Pt/γ-alumina interfaces.

Clauser, A L↗
DOE OSTI2019

Self-terminating electrodeposition of Pt on WC electrocatalysts

Self-terminated electrochemical deposition is used to grow Pt nanoparticles on tungsten monocarbide (WC) from a pH 4 electrolyte of 3 mmol/L K 2 PtCl 4 -0.5 mol/L NaCl. An unconventional potentiodynamic deposition program is used where nucleation is promoted at large over potentials followed by growth termination at still larger over potentials to yield a high coverage of Pt nanoparticles. Following three deposition cycles between –0.8 V SCE and –0.45 V SCE , the surface is covered by a monolayer equivalent charge of Pt in the form of ≈3×10 11 particles/cm2 that are ≈6.7 ± 1.1 nm in diameter. The number and size of nanoparticles increase monotonically for five deposition cycles. Area-normalized kinetics for hydrogen evolution (HER) and oxidation (HOR) on Pt-WC were determined in 0.5 mol/L H 2 SO 4 . For the lowest surface coverage of Pt nanoparticles on WC, ≈ 0.01, an exchange current density of ≈ 100 mA/cm 2 is achieved, comparable to the highest reported values for Pt nanoparticles and ultra microelectrodes. The area normalized apparent exchange current density decreases with increasing Pt coverage as the relative contribution of point versus planar diffusion decreases. Self-terminated electrodeposition of Pt provides an attractive approach to achieving ultra-low loadings of well-dispersed Pt nanoparticles on a non-precious metal support like WC.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2016

The effect of the surface composition of Ru-Pt bimetallic catalysts for methanol oxidation

Here, a series of Ru-Pt bimetallic catalysts prepared by the electroless deposition of controlled and variable amounts of Ru on the Pt surface of a commercially-available 20 wt% Pt/C catalyst has been characterized and evaluated for the oxidation of methanol. The activity of each Ru-Pt catalyst was determined as a function of surface composition via cyclic voltammetry. For the Ru-Pt bimetallic catalysts, activity passed through a maximum at approximately 50% monodisperse Ru surface coverage. However, due to the monolayer coverage of Ru on Pt, the amount of metal in the catalyst is minimized compared to a bulk 1:1 atomic ratio of Ru:Pt seen in commercial bimetallic catalysts. Chemisorption and temperature programmed reduction experiments confirmed that the surface had characteristics of a true bimetallic catalyst. On a mass of Pt basis, the activity of this composition for methanol oxidation was 7 times higher than pure Pt and 3.5 times higher than a commercial catalyst with a 1:1 Pt:Ru bulk atomic ratio.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗