Embedding oxophilic rare-earth single atom in platinum nanoclusters for efficient hydrogen electro-oxidation

Xiaoning Wang; Yanfu Tong; Wenting Feng; Pengyun Liu; Xuejin Li; Yongpeng Cui; Tonghui Cai; Lianming Zhao; Qingzhong Xue; Zifeng Yan; Xun Yuan; Wei Xing

doi:10.1038/s41467-023-39475-5

Nature Communications (Jun 2023)

Embedding oxophilic rare-earth single atom in platinum nanoclusters for efficient hydrogen electro-oxidation

Xiaoning Wang,
Yanfu Tong,
Wenting Feng,
Pengyun Liu,
Xuejin Li,
Yongpeng Cui,
Tonghui Cai,
Lianming Zhao,
Qingzhong Xue,
Zifeng Yan,
Xun Yuan,
Wei Xing

Affiliations

Xiaoning Wang: State Key Laboratory of Heavy Oil Processing, School of Materials Science and Engineering, China University of Petroleum
Yanfu Tong: State Key Laboratory of Heavy Oil Processing, School of Materials Science and Engineering, China University of Petroleum
Wenting Feng: State Key Laboratory of Heavy Oil Processing, School of Materials Science and Engineering, China University of Petroleum
Pengyun Liu: State Key Laboratory of Heavy Oil Processing, School of Materials Science and Engineering, China University of Petroleum
Xuejin Li: State Key Laboratory of Heavy Oil Processing, School of Materials Science and Engineering, China University of Petroleum
Yongpeng Cui: State Key Laboratory of Heavy Oil Processing, School of Materials Science and Engineering, China University of Petroleum
Tonghui Cai: State Key Laboratory of Heavy Oil Processing, School of Materials Science and Engineering, China University of Petroleum
Lianming Zhao: State Key Laboratory of Heavy Oil Processing, School of Materials Science and Engineering, China University of Petroleum
Qingzhong Xue: State Key Laboratory of Heavy Oil Processing, School of Materials Science and Engineering, China University of Petroleum
Zifeng Yan: State Key Laboratory of Heavy Oil Processing, School of Materials Science and Engineering, China University of Petroleum
Xun Yuan: School of Materials Science and Engineering, Qingdao University of Science and Technology
Wei Xing: State Key Laboratory of Heavy Oil Processing, School of Materials Science and Engineering, China University of Petroleum

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-39475-5
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 14, no. 1
pp. 1 – 11

Abstract

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Abstract Designing Pt-based electrocatalysts with high catalytic activity and CO tolerance is challenging but extremely desirable for alkaline hydrogen oxidation reaction. Herein we report the design of a series of single-atom lanthanide (La, Ce, Pr, Nd, and Lu)-embedded ultrasmall Pt nanoclusters for efficient alkaline hydrogen electro-oxidation catalysis based on vapor filling and spatially confined reduction/growth of metal species. Mechanism studies reveal that oxophilic single-atom lanthanide species in Pt nanoclusters can serve as the Lewis acid site for selective OH- adsorption and regulate the binding strength of intermediates on Pt sites, which promotes the kinetics of hydrogen oxidation and CO oxidation by accelerating the combination of OH− and *H/*CO in kinetics and thermodynamics, endowing the electrocatalyst with up to 14.3-times higher mass activity than commercial Pt/C and enhanced CO tolerance. This work may shed light on the design of metal nanocluster-based electrocatalysts for energy conversion.

Published in Nature Communications

ISSN: 2041-1723 (Online)
Publisher: Nature Portfolio
Country of publisher: United Kingdom
LCC subjects: Science
Website: https://www.nature.com/ncomms/

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