Enhancements in catalytic activity and duration of PdFe bimetallic catalysts and their use in direct formic acid fuel cells

Modulate the metallic Sb state on ultrathin PdSb-based nanosheets for efficient formic acid electrooxidation

Incorporation of oxophilic metals into Pd-based nanostructures has shown great potential in small molecule electrooxidation owing to their superior anti-poisoning capability. However, engineering the electronic structure of oxophilic dopants in Pd-based catalysts remains challenging and their impact on electrooxidation reactions is rarely demonstrated. Herein, we have developed a method for synthesizing PdSb-based nanosheets, enabling the incorporation of the Sb element in a predominantly metallic state despite its high oxophilic nature. Moreover, the Pd₉₀Sb₇W₃ nanosheet serves as an efficient electrocatalyst for the formic acid oxidation reaction (FAOR), and the underlying promotion mechanism is investigated. Among the as-prepared PdSb-based nanosheets, the Pd₉₀Sb₇W₃ nanosheet exhibits a remarkable 69.03% metallic state of Sb, surpassing the values observed for the Pd₈₆Sb₁₂W₂ (33.01%) and Pd₈₃Sb₁₄W₃ (25.41%) nanosheets. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and CO stripping experiments confirm that the Sb metallic state contributes the synergistic effect of their electronic and oxophilic effect, thus leading to an effective electrooxidation removal of CO and significantly enhanced FAOR electrocatalytic activity (1.47 A mg^-1; 2.32 mA cm^-1) compared with the oxidated state of Sb. This work highlights the importance of modulating the chemical valence state of oxophilic metals to enhance electrocatalytic performance, offering valuable insights for the design of high-performance electrocatalysts for electrooxidation of small molecules.

Alloying Iron into Palladium Nanoparticles for an Efficient Catalyst in Acetylene Dicarbonylation

Motivated by the prominent catalytic performance and durability of nanoalloy catalysts, the Pd-based bimetallic nanoalloy catalysts were prepared using an aqueous reduction method. The Fe-Pd bimetallic nanoalloy catalyst (nano-Fe/Pd) demonstrated 98.4% yield and 99.7% selectivity for the unsaturated 1,4-dicarboxylic acid diesters. Moreover, the inductively coupled plasma (ICP) analysis shows that the Pd leaching of the catalyst can be effectively suppressed by alloying Fe atoms into the Pd crystal lattice for acetylene dicarbonylation. The detailed catalyst structure and morphology characterization demonstrate that introducing Fe into the Pd nanoparticles tunes the electronic-geometrical properties of the catalyst. Theoretical calculations indicate that the electrons of Fe transfer to Pd in the nano-Fe/Pd catalyst, enhancing activation of the C≡C bond in acetylene and weakening CO absorption capacity on catalyst surfaces. Alloying Fe into the Pd nanocatalyst effectively inhibits active metal leaching and improves catalyst activity and stability under high-pressure CO reactions.

Formic Acid Dehydrogenation Using Noble-Metal Nanoheterogeneous Catalysts: Towards Sustainable Hydrogen-Based Energy

The need for sustainable energy sources is now more urgent than ever, and hydrogen is significant in the future of energy. However, several obstacles remain in the way of widespread hydrogen use, most of which are related to transport and storage. Dilute formic acid (FA) is recognized asa a safe fuel for low-temperature fuel cells. This review examines FA as a potential hydrogen storage molecule that can be dehydrogenated to yield highly pure hydrogen (H2) and carbon dioxide (CO2) with very little carbon monoxide (CO) gas produced via nanoheterogeneous catalysts. It also present the use of Au and Pd as nanoheterogeneous catalysts for formic acid liquid phase decomposition, focusing on the influence of noble metals in monometallic, bimetallic, and trimetallic compositions on the catalytic dehydrogenation of FA under mild temperatures (20–50 °C). The review shows that FA production from CO2 without a base by direct catalytic carbon dioxide hydrogenation is far more sustainable than existing techniques. Finally, using FA as an energy carrier to selectively release hydrogen for fuel cell power generation appears to be a potential technique.

Cyanogel-Derived Synthesis of Porous PdFe Nanohydrangeas as Electrocatalysts for Oxygen Reduction Reaction

It is important to develop cost-efficient electrocatalysts used in the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) for widespread applications in fuel cells. Palladium (Pd) is a promising catalyst, due to its more abundant reserves and lower price than platinum (Pt), and doping an earth-abundant 3d-transition metal M into Pd to form Pd-M bimetallic alloys may not only further reduce the use of expensive Pd but also promote the electrocatalytic performance of ORR, owing to the synergistic effect between Pd and M. Here we report a cyanogel-derived synthesis of PdFe alloys with porous nanostructure via a simple coinstantaneous reduction reaction by using K2PdIICl4/K4FeII(CN)6 cyanogel as precursor. The synthesized PdFe alloys possess hydrangea-like morphology and porous nanostructure, which are beneficial to the electrochemical performance in ORR. The onset potential of the porous PdFe nanohydrangeas is determined to be 0.988 V, which is much more positive than that of commercial Pt/C catalyst (0.976 V) and Pd black catalyst (0.964 V). Resulting from the unique structural advantages and synergetic effect between bimetals, the synthesized PdFe nanohydrangeas with porous structure have outstanding electrocatalytic activity and stability for ORR, compared with the commercial Pd black and Pt/C.

Sustainable Syntheses and Sources of Nanomaterials for Microbial Fuel/Electrolysis Cell Applications: An Overview of Recent Progress

The use of microbial fuel cells (MFCs) is quickly spreading in the fields of bioenergy generation and wastewater treatment, as well as in the biosynthesis of valuable compounds for microbial electrolysis cells (MECs). MFCs and MECs have not been able to penetrate the market as economic feasibility is lost when their performances are boosted by nanomaterials. The nanoparticles used to realize or decorate the components (electrodes or the membrane) have expensive processing, purification, and raw resource costs. In recent decades, many studies have approached the problem of finding green synthesis routes and cheap sources for the most common nanoparticles employed in MFCs and MECs. These nanoparticles are essentially made of carbon, noble metals, and non-noble metals, together with a few other few doping elements. In this review, the most recent findings regarding the sustainable preparation of nanoparticles, in terms of syntheses and sources, are collected, commented, and proposed for applications in MFC and MEC devices. The use of naturally occurring, recycled, and alternative raw materials for nanoparticle synthesis is showcased in detail here. Several examples of how these naturally derived or sustainable nanoparticles have been employed in microbial devices are also examined. The results demonstrate that this approach is valuable and could represent a solid alternative to the expensive use of commercial nanoparticles.