Issue 35, 2023

Length-tunable Pd2Sn@Pt core–shell nanorods for enhanced ethanol electrooxidation with concurrent hydrogen production

Abstract

The electrooxidation of ethanol as an alternative to the oxygen evolution reaction presents a promising approach for low-cost hydrogen production. However, the design and synthesis of efficient ethanol oxidation electrocatalysts remain key challenges. Here, a colloidal procedure is developed to prepare Pd2Sn@Pt core–shell nanorods with an expanded Pt lattice and tunable length. The obtained Pd2Sn@Pt catalysts exhibit superior activity and stability for ethanol electrooxidation compared to Pd2Sn and commercial Pt/C catalysts. By tuning the length of the Pd2Sn@Pt nanorods, remarkable mass activity of up to 4.75 A mgPd+Pt−1 and specific activity of 20.14 mA cm−2 are achieved for the short nanorods owing to their large specific surface area. A hybrid electrolysis system for ethanol oxidation and hydrogen evolution is constructed using Pd2Sn@Pt as the anodic catalyst and Pt mesh as the cathode. The system requires a low cell voltage of 0.59 V for the simultaneous production of acetic acid and hydrogen at a current density of 10 mA cm−2. Density functional theory calculations further reveal that the strained Pt shell reduces energy barriers in the ethanol electrooxidation pathway, facilitating the conversion of ethanol to acetic acid. This work provides valuable guidance for developing highly efficient ethanol electrooxidation catalysts for integrated hydrogen production systems.

Graphical abstract: Length-tunable Pd2Sn@Pt core–shell nanorods for enhanced ethanol electrooxidation with concurrent hydrogen production

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Edge Article
Submitted
31 May 2023
Accepted
16 Aug 2023
First published
16 Aug 2023
This article is Open Access

All publication charges for this article have been paid for by the Royal Society of Chemistry
Creative Commons BY-NC license

Chem. Sci., 2023,14, 9488-9495

Length-tunable Pd2Sn@Pt core–shell nanorods for enhanced ethanol electrooxidation with concurrent hydrogen production

T. Li, Q. Wang, W. Zhang, H. Li, Y. Wang and J. Liu, Chem. Sci., 2023, 14, 9488 DOI: 10.1039/D3SC02771F

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