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Rivas NAR, Manjón AG, Vega-Paredes M, Kim SH, Gault B, Jun H, Jung C, Berova V, Hengge K, Jurzinsky T, Scheu C. Chemistry and microstructure of C-supported Ru catalyst nanoparticles: A correlative study. Ultramicroscopy 2023; 254:113831. [PMID: 37597307 DOI: 10.1016/j.ultramic.2023.113831] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2023] [Revised: 07/31/2023] [Accepted: 08/09/2023] [Indexed: 08/21/2023]
Abstract
Ru@Pt core shell nanoparticles possess optimal catalytic properties that facilitate the anodic oxidation reaction of H2 with decreased Pt loading in hydrogen fuel cells. Moreover, since they preferentially oxidize CO, Pt poisoning is considerably reduced, which significantly improves the stability of the cell. The Ru cores used in this system are usually synthesized by dissolving a RuCl3*H2O precursor in an ethylene glycol-carbon black-NaOH mixture. However, the possibility that remnant Cl and Na from the synthesis process are present in the Ru nanoparticles has not been extensively studied. Therefore, due to the challenges in detecting impurities with traditional characterization methods, here correlative atom probe tomography (APT) with scanning transmission electron microscopy ((S)TEM) techniques were implemented. The capabilities of APT to obtain chemical information with high sensitivity at the nanoscale, in combination with the high spatial resolving power of (S)TEM, provide the necessary resolution to fully characterize the structure and chemical makeup of Ru nanoparticles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolás A Rivas Rivas
- Max-Planck-Institut für Eisenforschung GmbH, Max-Planck-Straße 1, Düsseldorf 40237, Germany.
| | - Alba Garzón Manjón
- Max-Planck-Institut für Eisenforschung GmbH, Max-Planck-Straße 1, Düsseldorf 40237, Germany
| | - Miquel Vega-Paredes
- Max-Planck-Institut für Eisenforschung GmbH, Max-Planck-Straße 1, Düsseldorf 40237, Germany
| | - Se-Ho Kim
- Max-Planck-Institut für Eisenforschung GmbH, Max-Planck-Straße 1, Düsseldorf 40237, Germany
| | - Baptiste Gault
- Max-Planck-Institut für Eisenforschung GmbH, Max-Planck-Straße 1, Düsseldorf 40237, Germany; Department of Materials, Royal School of Mines, Imperial College, London SW7 2AZ, United Kingdom
| | - Hosun Jun
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), 291 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Chanwon Jung
- Max-Planck-Institut für Eisenforschung GmbH, Max-Planck-Straße 1, Düsseldorf 40237, Germany; Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), 291 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Viktoriya Berova
- Freudenberg Fuel Cell e-Power Systems GmbH, Bayerwaldstraße 3, München 81737, Germany
| | - Katharina Hengge
- Freudenberg Fuel Cell e-Power Systems GmbH, Bayerwaldstraße 3, München 81737, Germany
| | - Tilman Jurzinsky
- Freudenberg Fuel Cell e-Power Systems GmbH, Bayerwaldstraße 3, München 81737, Germany
| | - Christina Scheu
- Max-Planck-Institut für Eisenforschung GmbH, Max-Planck-Straße 1, Düsseldorf 40237, Germany.
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Garzón Manjón A, Vega-Paredes M, Berova V, Gänsler T, Schwarz T, Rivas Rivas NA, Hengge K, Jurzinsky T, Scheu C. Insights into the performance and degradation of Ru@Pt core-shell catalysts for fuel cells by advanced (scanning) transmission electron microscopy. Nanoscale 2022; 14:18060-18069. [PMID: 36448460 DOI: 10.1039/d2nr04869h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Ru@Pt core-shell nanoparticles are currently being explored as carbon monoxide tolerant anode catalysts for proton exchange membrane fuel cells. However, little is known about their degradation under fuel cell conditions. In the present work, two types of Ru@Pt nanoparticles with nominal shell thicknesses of 1 (Ru@1Pt) and 2 (Ru@2Pt) Pt monolayers are studied as synthesized and after accelerated stress tests. These stress tests were designed to imitate the degradation occurring under fuel cell operating conditions. Our advanced (scanning) transmission electron microscopy characterization explains the superior initial electrochemical performance of Ru@1Pt. Moreover, the 3D reconstruction of the Pt shell by electron tomography reveals an incomplete shell for both samples, which results in a less stable Ru metal being exposed to an electrolyte. The degree of coverage of the Ru cores provides insights into the higher stability of Ru@2Pt during the accelerated stress tests. Our results explain how to maximize the initial performance of Ru@Pt-type catalysts, without compromising their stability under fuel cell conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alba Garzón Manjón
- Max-Planck-Institut für Eisenforschung GmbH, Max-Planck-Straße 1, 40237 Düsseldorf, Germany.
| | - Miquel Vega-Paredes
- Max-Planck-Institut für Eisenforschung GmbH, Max-Planck-Straße 1, 40237 Düsseldorf, Germany.
| | - Viktoriya Berova
- Freudenberg Fuel Cell e-Power Systems GmbH, Bayerwaldstraße 3, 81737 München, Germany
| | - Thomas Gänsler
- Max-Planck-Institut für Eisenforschung GmbH, Max-Planck-Straße 1, 40237 Düsseldorf, Germany.
| | - Torsten Schwarz
- Max-Planck-Institut für Eisenforschung GmbH, Max-Planck-Straße 1, 40237 Düsseldorf, Germany.
| | - Nicolas A Rivas Rivas
- Max-Planck-Institut für Eisenforschung GmbH, Max-Planck-Straße 1, 40237 Düsseldorf, Germany.
| | - Katharina Hengge
- Freudenberg Fuel Cell e-Power Systems GmbH, Bayerwaldstraße 3, 81737 München, Germany
| | - Tilman Jurzinsky
- Freudenberg Fuel Cell e-Power Systems GmbH, Bayerwaldstraße 3, 81737 München, Germany
| | - Christina Scheu
- Max-Planck-Institut für Eisenforschung GmbH, Max-Planck-Straße 1, 40237 Düsseldorf, Germany.
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