Electrochemically induced surface metal migration in well-defined core-shell nanoparticles and its general influence on electrocatalytic reactions

Intermetallic Nanocrystals for Fuel-Cells-Based Electrocatalysis

Electrocatalysis underpins the renewable electrochemical conversions for sustainability, which further replies on metallic nanocrystals as vital electrocatalysts. Intermetallic nanocrystals have been known to show distinct properties compared to their disordered counterparts, and been long explored for functional improvements. Tremendous progresses have been made in the past few years, with notable trend of more precise engineering down to an atomic level and the investigation transferring into more practical membrane electrode assembly (MEA), which motivates this timely review. After addressing the basic thermodynamic and kinetic fundamentals, we discuss classic and latest synthetic strategies that enable not only the formation of intermetallic phase but also the rational control of other catalysis-determinant structural parameters, such as size and morphology. We also demonstrate the emerging intermetallic nanomaterials for potentially further advancement in energy electrocatalysis. Then, we discuss the state-of-the-art characterizations and representative intermetallic electrocatalysts with emphasis on oxygen reduction reaction evaluated in a MEA setup. We summarize this review by laying out existing challenges and offering perspective on future research directions toward practicing intermetallic electrocatalysts for energy conversions.

Synthesis of Pd nanorod arrays on Au nanoframes for excellent ethanol electrooxidation

Au-Pd hollow nanostructures have attracted a lot of attention because of their excellent ethanol electrooxidation performance. Herein, we report a facile preparation of Au nanoframe@Pd array electrocatalysts in the presence of cetylpyridinium chloride. The reduced Pd atoms were directed to mainly deposit on the surface of the Au nanoframes in the form of rods, leading to the formation of Au nanoframe@Pd arrays with a super-large specific surface area. The red shift and damping of the plasmon peak were ascribed to the deposition of the Pd arrays on the surface of the Au nanoframes and nanobipyramids, which was verified by electrodynamic simulations. Surfactants, temperature and reaction time determine the growth process and thereby the architecture of the obtained Au-Pd hollow nanostructures. Compared with the Au nanoframe@Pd nanostructures and Au nanobipyramid@Pd arrays, the Au nanoframe@Pd arrays exhibit an enhanced electrocatalytic performance towards ethanol electrooxidation due to an abundance of catalytic active sites. The Au NF@Pd arrays display 4.1 times higher specific activity and 13.7 times higher mass activity than the commercial Pd/C electrocatalyst. Moreover, the nanostructure shows improved stability towards the ethanol oxidation reaction. This study enriches the manufacturing technology to increase the active sites of noble metal nanocatalysts and promotes the development of direct ethanol fuel cells.

Bifunctional effect of Bi(OH)3 on the PdBi surface as interfacial Brønsted base enables ethanol electro-oxidization

Palladium (Pd) is supposed to be one of the most promising catalytic metals towards ethanol (C₂H₅OH) oxidation reaction (EOR). However, Pd electrocatalysts easily suffer from the poisoning of the intermediates (especially CO), resulting in the quick decay of EOR catalysis. Herein, inspired by the Brønsted-Lowry acid-base theory, a "attraction-repulsion" concept is proposed to guide the surface structure engineering toward EOR catalysts. Specifically, we induce Bi(OH)₃ species as Brønsted base onto PdBi nanoplates to effectively repel the adsorption of CO intermediates. The PdBi-Bi(OH)₃ nanoplates show an impressive mass activity of 4.46 A mg_Pd^-1 during the EOR catalysis and keep excellent stability. Both the stability and enhanced performance are attributed by the interfacial Brønsted base Bi(OH)₃ which can selectively attract and repel reactants and intermediates, as evidenced from in situ measurements and theoretical views.

Tailoring Heterogeneous Catalysts at the Atomic Level: In Memoriam, Prof. Chia-Kuang (Frank) Tsung

Professor Chia-Kuang (Frank) Tsung made his scientific impact primarily through the atomic-level design of nanoscale materials for application in heterogeneous catalysis. He approached this challenge from two directions: above and below the material surface. Below the surface, Prof. Tsung synthesized finely controlled nanoparticles, primarily of noble metals and metal oxides, tailoring their composition and surface structure for efficient catalysis. Above the surface, he was among the first to leverage the tunability and stability of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) to improve heterogeneous, molecular, and biocatalysts. This article, written by his former students, seeks first to commemorate Prof. Tsung's scientific accomplishments in three parts: (1) rationally designing nanocrystal surfaces to promote catalytic activity; (2) encapsulating nanocrystals in MOFs to improve catalyst selectivity; and (3) tuning the host-guest interaction between MOFs and guest molecules to inhibit catalyst degradation. The subsequent discussion focuses on building on the foundation laid by Prof. Tsung and on his considerable influence on his former group members and collaborators, both inside and outside of the lab.

Construction of Lattice Strain in Bimetallic Nanostructures and Its Effectiveness in Electrochemical Applications

Bimetallic nanocrystals (NCs), associated with various surface functions such as ligand effect, ensemble effect, and strain effect, exhibit superior electrocatalytic properties. The stress-induced surface strain effect can alter binding strength between the surface active sites and reactants as well as their intermediates, and the electrochemical performance of bimetallic NCs can be significantly facilitated by the lattice-strain modification via their morphologies, sizes, shell-thickness, surface defectiveness as well as compositions. In this review, an overview of fundamental principles, characterization techniques, and quantitative determination of the surface lattice strain is provided. Various strategies and synthesis efforts on creating lattice-strain-engineered bimetallic NCs, including the de-alloying process, atomic layer-by-layer deposition, thermal treatment evolution, one-pot synthesis, and other efforts are also discussed. It is further outlined how the lattice strain effect promotes electrochemical catalysis through the selected case studies. The reactions on oxygen reduction reaction, small molecular oxidation, water splitting reaction, and electrochemical carbon dioxide reduction reactions are focused. In particular, studies of lattice strain arisen from core-shell nanostructure and defectiveness are highlighted. Lastly, the potential challenges are summarized and the prospects of lattice-strain-based engineering on bimetallic nanocatalysts with suggestion and guidance of the future electrocatalyst design are envisioned.

Pt-Co@Pt Octahedral Nanocrystals: Enhancing Their Activity and Durability toward Oxygen Reduction with an Intermetallic Core and an Ultrathin Shell

Despite extensive efforts devoted to the synthesis of Pt-Co bimetallic nanocrystals for fuel cell and related applications, it remains a challenge to simultaneously control atomic arrangements in the bulk and on the surface. Here we report a synthesis of Pt-Co@Pt octahedral nanocrystals that feature an intermetallic, face-centered tetragonal Pt-Co core and an ultrathin Pt shell, together with the dominance of {111} facets on the surface. When evaluated as a catalyst toward the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), the nanocrystals delivered a mass activity of 2.82 A mg^-1 and a specific activity of 9.16 mA cm^-2, which were enhanced by 13.4 and 29.5 times, respectively, relative to the values of a commercial Pt/C catalyst. More significantly, the mass activity of the nanocrystals only dropped 21% after undergoing 30 000 cycles of accelerated durability test, promising an outstanding catalyst with optimal performance for ORR and related reactions.

Engineering Two-Dimensional PdAgRh Nanoalloys by Surface Reconstruction for Highly Active and Stable Formate Oxidation Electrocatalysis

Promoting the formate oxidation reaction (FOR) is central to develop promising direct formate fuel cells, but current electrocatalysts are suffering from low activity and ultrapoor stability. Herein, the ternary PdAgRh nanoalloys with ultrathin two-dimensional architecture are for the first time synthesized and employed as a novel class of electrocatalysts for the FOR. Benefitting from unique nanostructure as well as oxophilic Rh surface oxides, the Pd₅₅Ag₃₀Rh₁₅/C electrocatalyst demonstrates an exceptional FOR activity of 1.85 A mg_Pd^-1, showing a 4.74-fold improvement compared to the commercial Pd/C, and retains the current density of 150 mA mg_Pd^-1 after a long-term test, representing the greatest durability among all available FOR electrocatalysts. More strikingly, extending the upper limit potential (ULP) of cyclic voltammetry is revealed to facilitate the surface reconstruction of the Pd₅₅Ag₃₀Rh₁₅/C electrocatalyst to in situ form Ag surface oxides (Ag-O), resulting in a highly active and stable Pd/Ag-O interface at the atomic scale, which considerably boost the FOR performance. In particular, the reconstructed Pd₅₅Ag₃₀Rh₁₅/C electrocatalyst exhibits a mass activity of 3.26 A mg_Pd^-1 with 74.2% of initial activity retained after 1000 cycles. This work showcases an effective strategy to tune surface reconstruction on multimetallic nanoalloys for robust FOR electrocatalysts and beyond.

A Quantitative Analysis of the Reduction Kinetics Involved in the Synthesis of Au@Pd Concave Nanocubes

Surface capping has been shown to play a pivotal role in controlling the evolution of metal nanocrystals into different shapes or morphologies. With the synthesis of Au@Pd concave nanocubes as an example, here we demonstrate that the capping agent can also impact the reduction kinetics of a precursor, and thereby its reduction pathway, for the formation of metal nanocrystals with distinct morphologies. A typical synthesis involves the reduction of a Pd^II precursor by ascorbic acid at room temperature in the presence of Au nanospheres as seeds, together with the use of hexadecyltrimethylammonium chloride (CTAC) or hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) as the capping agent. In the case of CTAC, the Pd^II precursor prevails as PdCl₄ ^2- , leading to the formation of Au@Pd concave nanocubes with a rough surface because of the fast reduction kinetics and thus the dominance of solution reduction pathway. When switched to CTAB, the Pd^II precursor changes to PdBr₄ ^2- that features slow reduction kinetics and surface reduction pathway. Accordingly, the Au@Pd concave nanocubes take a smooth surface. This work demonstrates that both reduction kinetics and surface capping play important roles in controlling the morphology of metal nanocrystals and these two roles are often coupled to each other.

Microstructural Evolution of Au@Pt Core-Shell Nanoparticles under Electrochemical Polarization

Understanding the microstructural evolution of bimetallic Pt nanoparticles under electrochemical polarization is critical to developing durable fuel cell catalysts. In this work, we develop a colloidal synthetic method to generate core-shell Au@Pt nanoparticles of varying surface Pt coverages to understand how as-synthesized bimetallic microstructure influences nanoparticle structural evolution during formic acid oxidation. By comparing the electrochemical and structural properties of our Au@Pt core-shells with bimetallic AuPt alloys at various stages in catalytic cycling, we determine that these two structures evolve in divergent ways. In core-shell nanoparticles, Au atoms from the core migrate outward onto the surface, generating transient "single-atom" Pt active sites with high formic acid oxidation activity. Metal migration continues until Pt is completely encapsulated by Au, and catalytic reactivity ceases. In contrast, AuPt alloys undergo surface dealloying and significant leaching of Pt out of the nanoparticle. Elucidating the dynamic restructuring processes responsible for high electrocatalytic reactivity in Pt bimetallic structures will enable better design and predictive synthesis of nanoparticle catalysts that are both active and stable.

Bi(OH)3/PdBi Composite Nanochains as Highly Active and Durable Electrocatalysts for Ethanol Oxidation

Developing high-performance electrocatalysts for the ethanol oxidation reaction (EOR) is critical to the commercialization of direct ethanol fuel cells. However, current EOR catalysts suffer from high cost, low activity, and poor durability. Here we report the preparation of PdBi-Bi(OH)₃ composite nanochains with outstanding EOR activity and durability. The incorporation of Bi can tune the electronic structure and downshift the d-band center of Pd while the surface decoration of Bi(OH)₃ can facilitate the oxidative removal of CO and other carbonaceous intermediates. As a result, the nanochains manifest an exceptional mass activity (5.30 A mg_Pd^-1, 4.6-fold higher than that of commercial Pd/C) and outstanding durability (with a retained current density of ∼1.00 A mg_Pd^-1 after operating for 20 000 s). More importantly, the nanochain catalyst can be reactivated, and negligible activity loss has been observed after operating for 200 000 s with periodic reactivation, making it one of the best EOR catalysts.

Adaptive kinetic Monte Carlo simulations of surface segregation in PdAu nanoparticles

Surface segregation in bimetallic nanoparticles (NPs) is critically important for their catalytic activity because the activity is largely determined by the surface composition. Little, however, is known about the atomic scale mechanisms and kinetics of surface segregation. One reason is that it is hard to resolve atomic rearrangements experimentally. It is also difficult to model surface segregation at the atomic scale because the atomic rearrangements can take place on time scales of seconds or minutes - much longer than can be modeled with molecular dynamics. Here we use the adaptive kinetic Monte Carlo (AKMC) method to model the segregation dynamics in PdAu NPs over experimentally relevant time scales, and reveal the origin of kinetic stability of the core@shell and random alloy NPs at the atomic level. Our focus on PdAu NPs is motivated by experimental work showing that both core@shell and random alloy PdAu NPs with diameters of less than 2 nm are stable, indicating that one of these structures must be metastable and kinetically trapped. Our simulations show that both the Au@Pd and the PdAu random alloy NPs are metastable and kinetically trapped below 400 K over time scales of hours. These AKMC simulations provide insight into the energy landscape of the two NP structures, and the diffusion mechanisms that lead to segregation. In the core-shell NP, surface segregation occurs primarily on the (100) facet through both a vacancy-mediated and a concerted mechanism. The system becomes kinetically trapped when all corner sites in the core of the NP are occupied by Pd atoms. Higher energy barriers are required for further segregation, so that the metastable NP has a partially alloyed shell. In contrast, surface segregation in the random alloy PdAu NP is suppressed because the random alloy NP has reduced strain as compared to the Au@Pd NP, and the segregation mechanisms in the alloy require more elastic energy for exchange of Pd and Au and between the surface and subsurface.

Voltage effects on the stability of Pd ensembles in Pd-Au/Au(111) surface alloys

The catalytic performance of multimetallic electrodes is often attributed to a beneficial combination of ligand, strain, and ensemble effects. Understanding the influence of the electrochemical environment on the stability of the alloy surface structure is thus a crucial component to the design of highly active and durable electrocatalysts. In this work, we study the effects of an applied voltage to electrocatalytic Pd-Au/Au(111) surface alloys in contact with a model continuum electrolyte. Using planewave density functional theory, two-dimensional cluster expansions are parameterized and used to simulate dilute Pd-Au surface alloys under electrochemical conditions via Metropolis Monte Carlo within an extended canonical ensemble. While Pd monomers are stable at all potentials considered, different extents of surface electrification are observed to promote the formation of Pd dimers and trimers, as well as clusters of Pd monomers. We find that the relative proportion of monomer, dimer, and trimer surface fractions is in good agreement with in situ scanning tunneling microscopy measurements. The further development and refinement of the approaches described herein may serve as a useful aid in the development of next-generation electrocatalysts.

Highly Active and Durable Core-Shell fct-PdFe@Pd Nanoparticles Encapsulated NG as an Efficient Catalyst for Oxygen Reduction Reaction

Development of highly active and durable catalysts for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) alternative to Pt-based catalyst is an essential topic of interest in the research community but a challenging task. Here, we have developed a new type of face-centered tetragonal (fct) PdFe-alloy nanoparticle-encapsulated Pd (fct-PdFe@Pd) anchored onto nitrogen-doped graphene (NG). This core-shell fct-PdFe@Pd@NG hybrid is fabricated by a facile and cost-effective technique. The effect of temperature on the transformation of face-centered cubic (fcc) to fct structure and their effect on ORR activity are systematically investigated. The core-shell fct-PdFe@Pd@NG hybrid exerts high synergistic interaction between fct-PdFe@Pd NPs and NG shell, beneficial to enhance the catalytic ORR activity and excellent durability. Impressively, core-shell fct-PdFe@Pd@NG hybrid exhibits an excellent catalytic activity for ORR with an onset potential of ∼0.97 V and a half-wave potential of ∼0.83 V versus relative hydrogen electrode, ultrahigh current density, and decent durability after 10 000 potential cycles, which is significantly higher than that of marketable Pt/C catalyst. Furthermore, the core-shell fct-PdFe@Pd@NG hybrid also shows excellent tolerance to methanol, unlike the commercial Pt/C catalyst. Thus, these findings open a new protocol for fabricating another core-shell hybrid by facile and cost-effective techniques, emphasizing great prospect in next-generation energy conversion and storage applications.

Structural Rearrangement of Au-Pd Nanoparticles under Reaction Conditions: An ab Initio Molecular Dynamics Study

The structure, composition, and atomic distribution of nanoalloys under operating conditions are of significant importance for their catalytic activity. In the present work, we use ab initio molecular dynamics simulations to understand the structural behavior of Au-Pd nanoalloys supported on rutile TiO₂ under different conditions. We find that the Au-Pd structure is strongly dependent on the redox properties of the support, originating from strong metal-support interactions. Under reducing conditions, Pd atoms are inclined to move toward the metal/oxide interface, as indicated by a significant increase of Pd-Ti bonds. This could be attributed to the charge localization at the interface that leads to Coulomb attractions to positively charged Pd atoms. In contrast, under oxidizing conditions, Pd atoms would rather stay inside or on the exterior of the nanoparticle. Moreover, Pd atoms on the alloy surface can be stabilized by hydrogen adsorption, forming Pd-H bonds, which are stronger than Au-H bonds. Our work offers critical insights into the structure and redox properties of Au-Pd nanoalloy catalysts under working conditions.

Addressing stability challenges of using bimetallic electrocatalysts: the case of gold–palladium nanoalloys

Studying changes in surface composition of bimetallic (AuPd) catalysts under dealloying is of key importance for predicting their stability during application.

Facile synthesis of Cu/Ni alloy nanospheres with tunable size and elemental ratio

We report a facile synthesis of copper/nickel (Cu/Ni) alloy nanospheres in high purity and with tunable, well-controlled sizes and elemental ratios.

Ultra-small Tetrametallic Pt-Pd-Rh-Ag Nanoframes with Tunable Behavior for Direct Formic Acid/Methanol Oxidation

Reversible tuning of ultra-small multimetallic Pt-Pd-Rh-Ag nanoframes is achieved. These nanoframes showed tunable and reversible modes for the oxidation of small organic molecules by simply inducing segregation with adsorbates, such as SO₄^2- and OH^- . This is the first example of reversible segregation under electrocatalytic conditions in atomic-sized electrocatalysts. These nanoframes also showed a controllable activity and good stability for the oxidation of small organic molecules.

Peptide-Directed PdAu Nanoscale Surface Segregation: Toward Controlled Bimetallic Architecture for Catalytic Materials

Bimetallic nanoparticles are of immense scientific and technological interest given the synergistic properties observed when two different metallic species are mixed at the nanoscale. This is particularly prevalent in catalysis, where bimetallic nanoparticles often exhibit improved catalytic activity and durability over their monometallic counterparts. Yet despite intense research efforts, little is understood regarding how to optimize bimetallic surface composition and structure synthetically using rational design principles. Recently, it has been demonstrated that peptide-enabled routes for nanoparticle synthesis result in materials with sequence-dependent catalytic properties, providing an opportunity for rational design through sequence manipulation. In this study, bimetallic PdAu nanoparticles are synthesized with a small set of peptides containing known Pd and Au binding motifs. The resulting nanoparticles were extensively characterized using high-resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy, X-ray absorption spectroscopy, and high-energy X-ray diffraction coupled to atomic pair distribution function analysis. Structural information obtained from synchrotron radiation methods was then used to generate model nanoparticle configurations using reverse Monte Carlo simulations, which illustrate sequence dependence in both surface structure and surface composition. Replica exchange with solute tempering molecular dynamics simulations were also used to predict the modes of peptide binding on monometallic surfaces, indicating that different sequences bind to the metal interfaces via different mechanisms. As a testbed reaction, electrocatalytic methanol oxidation experiments were performed, wherein differences in catalytic activity are clearly observed in materials with identical bimetallic composition. Taken together, this study indicates that peptides could be used to arrive at bimetallic surfaces with enhanced catalytic properties, which could be leveraged for rational bimetallic nanoparticle design using peptide-enabled approaches.

Core-shell nanoparticles: synthesis and applications in catalysis and electrocatalysis

Core-shell nanoparticles (CSNs) are a class of nanostructured materials that have recently received increased attention owing to their interesting properties and broad range of applications in catalysis, biology, materials chemistry and sensors. By rationally tuning the cores as well as the shells of such materials, a range of core-shell nanoparticles can be produced with tailorable properties that can play important roles in various catalytic processes and offer sustainable solutions to current energy problems. Various synthetic methods for preparing different classes of CSNs, including the Stöber method, solvothermal method, one-pot synthetic method involving surfactants, etc., are briefly mentioned here. The roles of various classes of CSNs are exemplified for both catalytic and electrocatalytic applications, including oxidation, reduction, coupling reactions, etc.

Reconstruction and dissolution of shape-controlled Pt nanoparticles in acidic electrolytes

Reconstruction and dissolution of shape-controlled Pt nanoparticles in acidic electrolytes.

Carbon supported Au–Pd core–shell nanoparticles for hydrogen production by alcohol electroreforming

Monodisperse faceted icosahedral Au–Pd core–shell nanocrystals of small size (<12 nm) supported on Vulcan XC-72 (Au–Pd/C) are employed in electroreforming for the cogeneration of hydrogen and valuable chemicals.

Atomistic understanding of the origin of high oxygen reduction electrocatalytic activity of cuboctahedral Pt3Co–Pt core–shell nanoparticles

The origin of the high oxygen reduction electrocatalytic activity of cuboctahedral Pt₃Co–Pt core–shell nanoparticles is studied.

Building up strain in colloidal metal nanoparticle catalysts

The focus on surface lattice strain in nanostructures as a fundamental research topic has gained momentum in recent years as scientists investigated its significant impact on the surface electronic structure and catalytic properties of nanomaterials. Researchers have begun to tell a more complete story of catalysis from a perspective which brings this concept to the forefront of the discussion. The nano-'realm' makes the effects of surface lattice strain, which acts on the same spatial scales, more pronounced due to a higher ratio of surface to bulk atoms. This is especially evident in the field of metal nanoparticle catalysis, where displacement of atoms on surfaces can significantly alter the sorption properties of molecules. In part, the concept of strain-engineering for catalysis opened up due to the achievements that were made in the synthesis of a more sophisticated nanoparticle library from an ever-expanding set of methodologies. Developing synthesis methods for metal nanoparticles with well-defined and strained architectures is a worthy goal that, if reached, will have considerable impact in the search for catalysts. In this review, we summarize the recent accomplishments in the area of surface lattice-strained metal nanoparticle synthesis, framing the discussion from the important perspective of surface lattice strain effects in catalysis.

Surface Segregation in Bimetallic Nanoparticles: A Critical Issue in Electrocatalyst Engineering

Bimetallic nanoparticles are a class of important electrocatalyst. They exhibit a synergistic effect that critically depends on the surface composition, which determines the surface properties and the adsorption/desorption behavior of the reactants and intermediates during catalysis. The surface composition can be varied, as nanoparticles are exposed to certain environments through surface segregation. Thermodynamically, this is caused by a difference in surface energy between the two metals. It may lead to the enrichment of one metal on the surface and the other in the core. The external conditions that influence the surface energy may lead to the variation of the thermodynamic steady state of the particle surface and, thus, offer a chance to vary the surface composition. In this review, the most recent and important progress in surface segregation of bimetallic nanoparticles and its impact in electrocatalysis are introduced. Typical segregation inducements and surface characterization techniques are discussed in detail. It is concluded that surface segregation is a critical issue when designing bimetallic catalysts. It is necessary to explore methods to control it and utilize it as a way towards producing robust, bimetallic electrocatalysts.

Governing the morphology of Pt-Au heteronanocrystals with improved electrocatalytic performance

Platinum-gold heteronanostructures comprising either dimer (Pt-Au) or core-satellite (Pt@Au) configurations were synthesized by means of a seeded growth procedure using platinum nanodendrites as seeds. Careful control of the reduction kinetics of the gold precursor can be used to direct the nucleation and growth of gold nanoparticles on either one or multiple surface sites simultaneously, leading to the formation of either dimers or core-satellite nanoparticles, respectively, in high yields. Characterization by electron tomography and high resolution electron microscopy provided a better understanding of the actual three-dimensional particle morphology, as well as the Au-Pt interface, revealing quasi-epitaxial growth of Au on Pt. The prepared Pt-Au bimetallic nanostructures are highly efficient catalysts for ethanol oxidation in alkaline solution, showing accurate selectivity, high sensitivity, and improved efficiency by generating higher current densities than their monometallic counterparts.

Aerobic Oxidation of Cyclohexane on Catalysts Based on Twinned and Single-Crystal Au75Pd25 Bimetallic Nanocrystals

Bimetallic Au75Pd25 nanocrystals with shapes of icosahedron and octahedron were synthesized by adding different amounts of iodide ions, and were employed as catalysts for solvent-free aerobic oxidation of cyclohexane. Although both icosahedrons and octahedrons were bounded by {111} facets, the turnover frequency number of Au75Pd25 icosahedrons reached 15,106 h(-1), almost three times as high as that of Au75Pd25 octahedrons. The conversion of cyclohexane reached 28.1% after 48 h using Au75Pd25 icosahedrons, with the selectivity of 84.3% to cyclohexanone. Density functional theory calculations along with X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy examinations reveal that the excellent catalytic performance of AuPd icosahedrons could be ascribed to twin-induced strain and highly negative charge density of Au atoms on the surface.

Silver/gold core/shell nanowire monolayer on a QCM microsensor for enhanced mercury detection

The formation of a silver nanowire monolayer (Ag NWML) galvanically replaced with gold (Au) directly on the electrodes of a quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) transducer for non-spectroscopic based elemental mercury (Hg⁰) vapor sensing is reported in this study.

Noble metal alloy complex nanostructures: controllable synthesis and their electrochemical property

From the perspective of noble metal alloy nanocrystals with complex structures, we highlight their controllable synthesis and improved electrochemical property.