Enhancing electrocatalytic methanol oxidation of Pd-Ir nanoalloy through electron-rich catalytic interface induced by incorporating phosphorus

Jianqi Meng; Junhao Shu; Jinjuan Zhao; Li Wu; Ruifa Jin; Honglei Yang; Shuwen Li

doi:10.1016/j.jcis.2023.05.174

Enhancing electrocatalytic methanol oxidation of Pd-Ir nanoalloy through electron-rich catalytic interface induced by incorporating phosphorus

J Colloid Interface Sci. 2023 Oct:647:438-445. doi: 10.1016/j.jcis.2023.05.174. Epub 2023 May 29.

Authors

Jianqi Meng¹, Junhao Shu¹, Jinjuan Zhao¹, Li Wu¹, Ruifa Jin², Honglei Yang³, Shuwen Li⁴

Affiliations

¹ State Key Laboratory of Applied Organic Chemistry (SKLAOC), College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China.
² Inner Mongolia Key Laboratory of Photoelectric Functional Materials, College of Chemistry and Life Sciences, Chifeng University, Chifeng 024000, China.
³ State Key Laboratory of Applied Organic Chemistry (SKLAOC), College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China. Electronic address: yanghl@lzu.edu.cn.
⁴ State Key Laboratory of Applied Organic Chemistry (SKLAOC), College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China. Electronic address: lishw@lzu.edu.cn.

PMID: 37269740
DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2023.05.174

Abstract

Incorporating less expensive nonmetal phosphorus (P) into noble metal-based catalysts has become a developing strategy to enhance the catalytic performance of electrocatalysts for methanol electrooxidation reaction (MOR), attributing to the electronic and synergistic structure alteration mechanism. In the work, three-dimensional nitrogen-doped graphene anchoring ternary Pd-Ir-P nanoalloy catalyst (Pd₇IrP_x/NG) was prepared by co-reduction strategy. As a multi-electron system, elemental P adjusts the outer electron structure of Pd and diminishes the particle size of nanocomposites, which heightens the electrocatalytic activity effectively and accelerate MOR kinetics in alkaline medium. The study reveals that the electron effect and ligand effect induced by P atoms on the hydrophilic and electron-rich surface of Pd₇Ir/NG and Pd₇IrP_x/NG samples can reduce the initial oxidation potential and peak potential of CO_ads, showing significantly enhanced the anti-poisoning ability compared with commercial Pd/C as the benchmark. Meanwhile, the stability of Pd₇IrP_x/NG is significantly higher than that of commercial Pd/C. The facile synthetic approach provides an economic option and a new vision for the development of electrocatalysts in MOR.

Keywords: Methanol electrooxidation reaction; Nitrogen-doped three-dimensional graphene; Palladium-iridium alloy; Phosphorus-Incorporating.