Nanocrystalline intermetallics on mesoporous carbon for direct formic acid fuel cell anodes

ABSTRACT Shape- and size-controlled supported metal and intermetallic nanocrystallites are of increasing interest because of their catalytic and electrocatalytic properties. In particular,

intermetallics PtX (X = Bi, Pb, Pd, Ru) are very attractive because of their high activity as fuel-cell anode catalysts for formic acid or methanol oxidation. These are normally synthesized

using high-temperature techniques, but rigorous size control is very challenging. Even low-temperature techniques typically produce nanoparticles with dimensions much greater than the

optimum <6 nm required for fuel cell catalysis. Here, we present a simple and robust, chemically controlled process for synthesizing size-controlled noble metal or bimetallic

nanocrystallites embedded within the porous structure of ordered mesoporous carbon (OMC). By using surface-modified ordered mesoporous carbon to trap the metal precursors, nanocrystallites

are formed with monodisperse sizes as low as 1.5 nm, which can be tuned up to ∼3.5 nm. To the best of our knowledge, 3-nm ordered mesoporous carbon-supported PtBi nanoparticles exhibit the

highest mass activity for formic acid oxidation reported to date, and over double that of Pt–Au. Access through your institution Buy or subscribe This is a preview of subscription content,

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_J. Power Sources_ 182, 124–132 (2008). Article  CAS  Google Scholar  Download references ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS L.F.N. gratefully acknowledges the financial support of the National Science and

Engineering Research Council (NSERC, Canada) through its Discovery Grant and Canada Research Chair programs. We thank R. Sodhi at Surface Interface Ontario, University of Toronto, for

acquisition and processing of the XPS spectra and C. Mims for helpful discussions, N. Coombs at the Centre for Nanostructured Imaging, University of Toronto, for help with acquisition of the

STEM imaging, and C. Andrei (McMaster University, Canadian Centre for Electron Microscopy) for help with the high-resolution imaging work. The experimental work on the FEI Titan 80–300 and

FEI Titan 80–300 Cubed was carried out at the Canadian Centre for Electron Microscopy, a user facility supported by NSERC and McMaster University. AUTHOR INFORMATION AUTHORS AND AFFILIATIONS

* Department of Chemistry, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, N2L 3G1, Ontario, Canada Xiulei Ji, Kyu Tae Lee, Reanne Holden & Linda F. Nazar * Institute for Fuel Cell Innovation,

National Research Council Canada, Vancouver, V6T 1W5, British Columbia, Canada Lei Zhang & Jiujun Zhang * Department of Materials Science and Engineering, McMaster University, Hamilton,

L8S 4L8, Ontario, Canada Gianluigi A. Botton & Martin Couillard Authors * Xiulei Ji View author publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar * Kyu Tae Lee

View author publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar * Reanne Holden View author publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar *

Lei Zhang View author publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar * Jiujun Zhang View author publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google

Scholar * Gianluigi A. Botton View author publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar * Martin Couillard View author publications You can also search for this

author inPubMed Google Scholar * Linda F. Nazar View author publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar CONTRIBUTIONS X.J. and L.N. designed and conducted the

research. Electrochemical experiments were performed by X.J., L.Z., and J.Z. K.L. and R.H. contributed analysis. TEM experiments were performed by G.B. and M.C. L.N. and X.J. wrote the

paper. CORRESPONDING AUTHOR Correspondence to Linda F. Nazar. ETHICS DECLARATIONS COMPETING INTERESTS The authors declare no competing financial interests. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION

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Nanocrystalline intermetallics on mesoporous carbon for direct formic acid fuel cell anodes. _Nature Chem_ 2, 286–293 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1038/nchem.553 Download citation * Received:

25 August 2009 * Accepted: 11 January 2010 * Published: 28 February 2010 * Issue Date: April 2010 * DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nchem.553 SHARE THIS ARTICLE Anyone you share the following

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