Pd-Co alloy supported on TiO2 with oxygen vacancies for efficient N2 and O2 electrocatalytic reduction

Abstract

Small molecules are converted into high-value products through electrochemical methods, which are considered as potential substitutes for traditional industrial methods. To reduce the use of precious metal and modulate the local environment by oxygen vacancies, Pd-Co nanoalloys supported on TiO2 with oxygen vacancies (Vo) are prepared through a facile pyrolysis approach. The superior ORR performance is obtained comparing to the commercial Pt/C (20 wt%) catalysts in alkaline solution. Moreover, the catalyst has amazing catalytic activity for NRR. The synergistic effect of Pd-Co alloys and the Vo greatly improves the yield of NH3 (4.11 µg/(h·cm2)) and the Faradaic efficiency (2.83%). The performance of small molecular reduction is enhanced by the strong metal-support interactions (SMSI), which agree with the density functional theory (DFT) calculations results. It is anticipated that the established nanoalloy electrocatalysts with modulation of metal–support interactions provide guidance for designing heterogeneous electrocatalysts with high efficiency.