A bimodal-pore strategy for synthesis of Pt3Co/C electrocatalyst toward oxygen reduction reaction

A bimodal-pore strategy was developed for preparation of the Pt3Co/C catalyst with active Pt3Co nanoparticles located around the mass transfer channels rather than inside them, which leads to ca. 29% higher mass transfer efficiency and a superior single-cell performance under an ultralow Pt loading.

Free-standing Pt-Ni nanowires catalyst for H2 generation from hydrous hydrazine

Free-standing Pt-Ni nanowires were fabricated by a one-pot solvothermal method. Nanowires with an optimal Pt/Ni ratio of 1.86 exhibited a high activity and a 100% H2 selectivity for hydrous hydrazine decomposition at mild temperatures, which are comparable to the levels of supported catalysts. Our study reveals for the first time that basic support is not a prerequisite for achieving favorable catalytic performance and provides a renewed perspective for the design of advanced catalysts for on-demand H2 generation from hydrous hydrazine.

Solvothermal-assisted preparation of PdRhTe nanowires as an efficient electrocatalyst for ethylene glycol oxidation

A new strategy for the fabrication of composition-tunable PdRhTe nanowires with high performance toward ethylene glycol electrooxidation has been demonstrated.

Nanowire Genome: A Magic Toolbox for 1D Nanostructures

1D nanomaterials with high aspect ratio, i.e., nanowires and nanotubes, have inspired considerable research interest thanks to the fact that exotic physical and chemical properties emerge as their diameters approach or fall into certain length scales, such as the wavelength of light, the mean free path of phonons, the exciton Bohr radius, the critical size of magnetic domains, and the exciton diffusion length. On the basis of their components, aspect ratio, and properties, there may be imperceptible connections among hundreds of nanowires prepared by different strategies. Inspired by the heredity system in life, a new concept termed the "nanowire genome" is introduced here to clarify the relationships between hundreds of nanowires reported previously. As such, this approach will not only improve the tools incorporating the prior nanowires but also help to precisely synthesize new nanowires and even assist in the prediction on the properties of nanowires. Although the road from start-ups to maturity is long and fraught with challenges, the genetical syntheses of more than 200 kinds of nanostructures stemming from three mother nanowires (Te, Ag, and Cu) are summarized here to demonstrate the nanowire genome as a versatile toolbox. A summary and outlook on future challenges in this field are also presented.

Synthesis, growth mechanisms, and applications of palladium-based nanowires and other one-dimensional nanostructures

Palladium-based nanostructures have attracted the attention of researchers due to their useful catalytic properties and unique ability to form hydrides, which finds application in hydrogen storage and hydrogen detection. Palladium-based nanowires have some inherent advantages over other Pd nanomaterials, combining high surface-to-volume ratio with good thermal and electron transport properties, and exposing high-index crystal facets that can have enhanced catalytic activity. Over the past two decades, both synthesis methods and applications of 1D palladium nanostructures have advanced greatly. In this review, we start by discussing different types of 1D palladium nanostructures before moving on to the different synthesis approaches that can produce them. Next, we discuss factors including kinetic vs. thermodynamic control of growth, oxidative etching, and surface passivation that affect palladium nanowire synthesis. We also review efforts to gain insight into growth mechanisms using different characterization tools. We discuss the effects of concentration of capping agents, reducing agents, metal halides, pH, and sacrificial oxidation on the growth of Pd-based nanowires in solution, from shape control, to yield, to aspect ratio. Various applications of palladium and palladium alloy nanowires are then discussed, including electrocatalysis, hydrogen storage, and sensing of hydrogen and other chemicals. We conclude with a summary and some perspectives on future research directions for this category of nanomaterials.

Chemical Design of Palladium-Based Nanoarchitectures for Catalytic Applications

Palladium (Pd) plays an important role in numerous catalytic reactions, such as methanol and ethanol oxidation, oxygen reduction, hydrogenation, coupling reactions, and carbon monoxide oxidation. Creating Pd-based nanoarchitectures with increased active surface sites, higher density of low-coordinated atoms, and maximized surface coverage for the reactants is important. To address the limitations of pure Pd, various Pd-based nanoarchitectures, including alloys, intermetallics, and supported Pd nanomaterials, have been fabricated by combining Pd with other elements with similar or higher catalytic activity for many catalytic reactions. Herein, recent advances in the preparation of Pd-based nanoarchitectures through solution-phase chemical reduction and electrochemical deposition methods are summarized. Finally, the trend and future outlook in the development of Pd nanocatalysts toward practical catalytic applications are discussed.

Ultrasmall Ru2P nanoparticles on graphene: a highly efficient hydrogen evolution reaction electrocatalyst in both acidic and alkaline media

A Pt-free catalyst of ultrasmall Ru₂P nanoparticles on reduced graphene oxide nanosheets (Ru₂P/RGO-20) shows remarkable HER catalytic activity under acidic and alkaline conditions, respectively, both superior to those of commercial Pt/C.

Bimetallic PdRu nanosponges with a tunable composition for ethylene glycol oxidation

A simple mixing method to produce compositionally tunable PdRu nanosponges with enhanced electrocatalytic properties is developed.