This work attempted to improve the catalytic performance of an anodic catalyst for use in direct methanol fuel cells by coating graphene aerogel (GA) with platinum nanoparticles. A hydrothermal, freeze-drying, and microwave reduction method were used load Pt–Ru bimetallic nanoparticles onto a aerogel. The mesoporous structure is expected enhance mass transfer electrode. XRD, Raman spectroscopy,...

Size-controllable Pt nanoparticles ranging from 1.3 to 2.3 nm were successfully loaded onto ZSM-5 (Pt-x/ZSM-5, where x is the mean diameter of the Pt nanoparticles). Catalytic tests in complete oxidation of toluene as a model for VOC removal show that Pt-1.9/ZSM-5 has the highest activity, due to a balance of Pt dispersion and Pt(0) proportion.

A new ruthenium(ii) polypyridyl-platinum(ii) diethynyl triad containing 3-ethynylphenanthroline linked by platinum(ii) bis-tributylphosphine organometallics, Ru(ii)-Pt(ii)-Ru(ii), and platinum(ii) bis-ethynylphenanthroline complex has been prepared. The ruthenium(ii)-metal triads, Ru(ii)-M-Ru(ii) (M = Pt(ii) and Au(i)), showed typical MLCT absorption bands and a lowest energy pi-pi* absorption ...

A high-throughput method has been developed for screening and optimization of colloidal water oxidation catalysts. The catalysts are irradiated in parallel by visible light from an overhead projector in solutions containing tris(2,2'-bipyridyl)ruthenium(II) (Ru(bpy)(3)(2+)) and persulfate. The array of reaction solutions is held in a 96-well plate, and absorbance readings are taken intermittent...

The role of the electrode nanoporosity in electroanalytical processes is discussed and specific phenomena (slow double layer charging, local pH effects) which can be present in porous electrode are described. Hierarchical porous carbon (HPC) materials are synthesized using a hard template method. The three dimensional carbon porosity is examined using scanning electron microscopy on flat surfac...

The aging of both Pt−Pd nanoparticles and core− shell Pt−Pd nanoparticles has been reported to result in alloying of Pt with Pd. In comparison to monometallic Pt catalysts, the growth of Pd−Pt bimetallics is slower; however, the mechanism of growth of particles and the mechanism by which Pd improves the hydrothermal durability of bimetallic Pd−Pt particles remains uncertain. In our work on hydr...

Benzene hydrogenation was investigated in the presence of a surface monolayer consisting of Pt nanoparticles of different shapes (cubic and cuboctahedral) and tetradecyltrimethylammonium bromide (TTAB). Infrared spectroscopy indicated that TTAB binds to the Pt surface through a weak C-H...Pt bond of the alkyl chain. The catalytic selectivity was found to be strongly affected by the nanoparticle...

Recent advances in colloidal synthesis enabled the precise control of the size, shape and composition of catalytic metal nanoparticles, enabling their use as model catalysts for systematic investigations of the atomic-scale properties affecting catalytic activity and selectivity. The organic capping agents stabilizing colloidal nanoparticles, however, often limit their application in high-tempe...

Herein, we report a novel polymerized-complex method for the preparation of Ni-Pd, Ni-Pt, and Cu-Pt alloys and Pt, Pd, Ag, Ni, and Cu nanoparticles. The grain sizes and crystalline phases of these nanoparticles can be controlled. These nanoparticles are obtained via the formation of a polymerized complex and release of reducing gases during N2-protected calcination.

Rotating disk electrode measurements of acid-treated “Pt3Co” nanoparticles showed specific oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) activity (∼0.7 mA/cmPt at 0.9 V vs RHE in 0.1 M HClO4 at room temperature), twice that of Pt nanoparticles. Upon annealing at 1000 K in vacuum, the ORR activity at 0.9 V was increased to ∼1.4 mA/cmPt (four times that of Pt nanoparticles). High-resolution transmission electr...