Abstract
Bimetallic nanoparticles with core-shell structures usually display enhanced catalytic properties due to the lattice strain created between the core and shell regions. In this study, we demonstrate the application of bimetallic Au-Pd nanoparticles with an Au core and a thin Pd shell as cathode catalysts in microbial fuel cells, which represent a promising technology for wastewater treatment, while directly generating electrical energy. In specific, in comparison with the hollow structured Pt nanoparticles, a benchmark for the electrocatalysis, the bimetallic core-shell Au-Pd nanoparticles are found to have superior activity and stability for oxygen reduction reaction in a neutral condition due to the strong electronic interaction and lattice strain effect between the Au core and the Pd shell domains. The maximum power density generated in a membraneless single-chamber microbial fuel cell running on wastewater with core-shell Au-Pd as cathode catalysts is ca. 16.0 W m−3 and remains stable over 150 days, clearly illustrating the potential of core-shell nanostructures in the applications of microbial fuel cells.
Highlights
Interaction and the lattice strain generated between the Au core and Pd shell may tune the d-band center of Pd atoms, and accounts for the observed oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) enhancement of core-shell Au-Pd nanoparticles
Bimetallic core-shell Au-Pd nanoparticles were prepared using a seed-mediated growth strategy, which involves the synthesis of Au seed particles and the subsequent growth of a thin Pd layer in oleylamine[24]
The energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) analysis in the scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) mode (Fig. 1c) of an arbitrary single particle boxed in Fig. 1b demonstrates that the particles as-prepared are composed of Au and Pd components, which have an atomic ratio of 6.4/1, well agreement with the Au/Pd molar ratio in their starting precursors
Summary
Bimetallic core-shell Au-Pd nanoparticles were prepared using a seed-mediated growth strategy, which involves the synthesis of Au seed particles and the subsequent growth of a thin Pd layer in oleylamine[24]. The ORR kinetics and electron-transfer number for bimetallic core-shell Au-Pd and hollow structured Pt nanoparticles supported on carbon substrates were examined by rotating disk electrode (RDE) tests, which were performed in 50 mM O2-saturated PBS through changing the rotating speed (400–2500 rpm). By optimizing both the size of Au cores and thickness of the Pd shells, further enhancement of the core-shell nanomaterials in MFCs might be expected
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