Osmium and OsO x nanoparticles: an overview of syntheses and applications

2D noble metals: growth peculiarities and prospects for hydrogen evolution reaction catalysis

High-performance electrocatalysts for the hydrogen evolution reaction are of interest in the development of next-generation sustainable hydrogen production systems. Although expensive platinum-group metals have been recognized as the most effective HER catalysts, there is an ongoing requirement for the discovery of cost-effective electrode materials. This paper reveals the prospects of two-dimensional (2D) noble metals, possessing a large surface area and a high density of active sites available for hydrogen proton adsorption, as promising catalytic materials for water splitting. An overview of the synthesis techniques is given. The advantages of wet chemistry approaches for the growth of 2D metals over deposition techniques show the potential for kinetic control that is required as a precondition to prevent isotropic growth. An uncontrolled presence of surfactant-related chemicals on a 2D metal surface is however the main disadvantage of kinetically controlled growth methods, which stimulates the development of surfactant-free synthesis approaches, especially template-assisted 2D metal growth on non-metallic substrates. Recent advances in the growth of 2D metals using a graphenized SiC platform are discussed. The existing works in the field of practical application of 2D noble metals for hydrogen evolution reaction are analyzed. This paper shows the technological viability of the "2D noble metals" concept for designing electrochemical electrodes and their implementation into future hydrogen production systems, thereby providing an inspirational background for further experimental and theoretical studies.

Modification of multi-walled carbon nanotubes with platinum-osmium to develop stable catalysts for direct methanol fuel cells

In the study, a new bimetallic catalyst was synthesized for methanol oxidation using multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT)-supported platinum-osmium (PtOs) nanoparticles (PtOs@MWCNT NPs). The morphological structures of the prepared NPs were examined using different techniques, such as scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The electrochemical characterization of the synthesized PtOs@MWCNT catalysts, such as chronoamperometry (CA), cyclic voltammetry (CV), scan rate (SR) analysis, cyclic catalytic test, and electrochemical surface area (ECSA) evaluation, were performed in an alkaline medium. From the results obtained, the size of the NPs was found to be 3.12 nm according to the Debye-Schrrer equation, and the MWCNTs were clearly observed by SEM imaging. After the characterization of the prepared nanomaterials, the PtOs@MWCNT catalysts were employed in the methanol oxidation reaction, and a high oxidation current value of 220.86 mA cm^-2 was observed. Besides, according to the CA results, the catalyst exhibited high stability for 4000 s, and it was seen that Os metal improved the catalytic activity of the main catalyst. These results show that the PtOs@MWCNT catalyst is highly stable and reusable, and provides high electrocatalytic activity in the methanol oxidation reaction. Moreover, the obtained catalyst gave ideal results in terms of CO tolerance and activity. These data show that the obtained catalyst will provide significant improvement and superior efficiency in fuel-cell applications.