Intermetallic Pd–Y nanoparticles/N-doped carbon nanotubes as multi-active catalysts for oxygen reduction reaction, ethanol oxidation reaction, and zinc–air batteries

Intermetallic nanomaterials are unique in terms of their band gap, atomic-level arrangement, and well-defined stoichiometry, which allows them to exhibit significantly enhanced catalytic performance in electrochemical applications. However, the preparation of durable intermetallic catalysts with a lower content of platinum group metals is challenging, while the lack of control over the loss of active components limits their long-term application due to weak interaction between the support and the nanostructure. Here, we have designed the intermetallic alloyed nanoparticles (NPs) of PdY on N-doped carbon nanotubes (PdY/NCNTs) as a multifunctional catalyst for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), the ethanol oxidation reaction (EOR), and zinc-air batteries (ZABs). The strong adhesion through nitrogen ensures the anchoring of alloyed PdY NPs on the NCNTs, which restrains atomic migration and sintering during their conversion to intermetallic phases. This study confirms that there is negligible active site leaching owing to the strong and multiple dative bonds between the NCNTs and PdY NPs. Therefore, this catalyst exhibits remarkable catalytic activity, resulting in a mass activity of 1317 and 2902 mA mg_Pd^-1 at j_k and j_f for the ORR and the EOR, respectively, and remains stable for a longer period. In addition, the PdY/NCNT-containing air cathode-fabricated ZAB achieved a higher power density (0.236 W cm^-2) compared to the benchmark Pt/C.