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Bi(OH)3/PdBi Composite Nanochains as Highly Active and Durable Electrocatalysts for Ethanol Oxidation
journal contribution
posted on 2019-06-12, 00:00 authored by Xiaolei Yuan, Yong Zhang, Muhan Cao, Tong Zhou, Xiaojing Jiang, Jinxing Chen, Fenglei Lyu, Yong Xu, Jun Luo, Qiao Zhang, Yadong YinDeveloping
high-performance electrocatalysts for the ethanol oxidation
reaction (EOR) is critical to the commercialization of direct ethanol
fuel cells. However, current EOR catalysts suffer from high cost,
low activity, and poor durability. Here we report the preparation
of PdBi-Bi(OH)3 composite nanochains with outstanding EOR
activity and durability. The incorporation of Bi can tune the electronic
structure and downshift the d-band center of Pd while the surface
decoration of Bi(OH)3 can facilitate the oxidative removal
of CO and other carbonaceous intermediates. As a result, the nanochains
manifest an exceptional mass activity (5.30 A mgPd–1, 4.6-fold higher than that of commercial Pd/C) and
outstanding durability (with a retained current density of ∼1.00
A mgPd–1 after operating for 20 000
s). More importantly, the nanochain catalyst can be reactivated, and
negligible activity loss has been observed after operating for 200 000
s with periodic reactivation, making it one of the best EOR catalysts.