journal article·2020-03

Engineering stable electrocatalysts by synergistic stabilization between carbide cores and Pt shells

Daniel Göhl, Aaron Garg, Paul Paciok, Karl J. J. Mayrhofer, Marc Heggen, Yang Shao-Horn, Rafal E. Dunin-Borkowski, Yuriy Román-Leshkov, Marc Ledendecker

Nature Materials· Volume 19· Issue 3
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Abstract

Core-shell particles with earth-abundant cores represent an effective design strategy for improving the performance of noble metal catalysts, while simultaneously reducing the content of expensive noble metals1-4. However, the structural and catalytic stabilities of these materials often suffer during the harsh conditions encountered in important reactions, such as the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR)3-5. Here, we demonstrate that atomically thin Pt shells stabilize titanium tungsten carbide cores, even at highly oxidizing potentials. In situ, time-resolved experiments showed how the Pt coating protects the normally labile core against oxidation and dissolution, and detailed microscopy studies revealed the dynamics of partially and fully coated core-shell nanoparticles during potential cycling. Particles with complete Pt coverage precisely maintained their core-shell structure and atomic composition during accelerated electrochemical ageing studies consisting of over 10,000 potential cycles. The exceptional durability of fully coated materials highlights the potential of core-shell architectures using earth-abundant transition metal carbide (TMC) and nitride (TMN) cores for future catalytic applications.
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Research context

OpenAlex topics: Electrocatalysts for Energy Conversion · Advanced Memory and Neural Computing · Advancements in Battery Materials

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