Engineering composition-varied Au/PtTe hetero-junction-abundant nanotrough arrays as robust electrocatalysts for ethanol electrooxidation

Wen-Chao Geng; Jing-Jing Li; Ji-Long Sang; Yu-Xin Xia; Yong-Jun Li

doi:10.1016/j.jcis.2023.05.025

Engineering composition-varied Au/PtTe hetero-junction-abundant nanotrough arrays as robust electrocatalysts for ethanol electrooxidation

J Colloid Interface Sci. 2023 Sep 15:646:616-624. doi: 10.1016/j.jcis.2023.05.025. Epub 2023 May 9.

Authors

Wen-Chao Geng¹, Jing-Jing Li², Ji-Long Sang², Yu-Xin Xia², Yong-Jun Li³

Affiliations

¹ State Key Lab of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, China; School of Chemical and Printing-Dyeing Engineering, Henan University of Engineering, Zhengzhou 450000, China.
² State Key Lab of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, China.
³ State Key Lab of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, China. Electronic address: liyje@hnu.edu.cn.

PMID: 37210909
DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2023.05.025

Abstract

Pt-based multi-metallic electrocatalysts containing hetero-junctions are found to have superior catalytic performance to composition-equivalent counterparts. However, in bulk solution, controllable preparation of Pt-based hetero-junction electrocatalyst is an extremely random work owing to the complexity of solution reactions. Herein, we develop an interface-confined transformation strategy, subtly achieving Au/PtTe hetero-junction-abundant nanostructures by employing interfacial Te nanowires as sacrificing templates. By controlling the reaction conditions, composition-varied Au/PtTe can be easily obtained, such as Au₇₅/Pt₂₀Te₅, Au₅₅/Pt₃₄Te₁₁, and Au₅/Pt₆₉Te₂₆. Moreover, each Au/PtTe hetero-junction nanostructure appears to be an array consisting of side-by-side Au/PtTe nanotrough units and can be directly used as a catalyst layer without further post-treatment. All Au/PtTe hetero-junction nanostructures show better catalytic activity towards ethanol electrooxidation than commercial Pt/C because of the combining contributions of Au/Pt hetero-junctions and the collective effects of multi-metallic elements, where Au₇₅/Pt₂₀Te₅ exhibits the best electrocatalytic performance among three Au/PtTe nanostructures owing to its optimal composition. This study may provide technically feasible guidance for further maximizing the catalytic activity of Pt-based hybrid catalysts.

Keywords: Au/PtTe nanotrough array; Electrocatalyst; Ethanol electrooxidation; Hetero-junction.