Phosphorus doped PdMo bimetallene as a superior bifunctional fuel cell electrocatalyst

Abstract

The commercialization of direct alcohol fuel cells (DAFCs) relies on the development of high performance electrocatalysts for both the alcohol oxidation reaction and the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). In this study, a novel phosphorus-doped palladium-molybdenum (P-PdMo) bimetallene with a partially amorphous structure is demonstrated. The ultrathin and curved morphology of the nanosheets, combined with electronic regulation by phosphorus atoms, facilitates OH adsorption and CO desorption. Consequently, the catalyst exhibits significantly enhanced activity and durability in the electrooxidation of alcohols, including methanol, ethanol, ethylene glycol, and glycerol. Particularly toward ethanol oxidation, the P-PdMo bimetallene displays exceptional mass and specific activities up to 4.95 A mg-1Pd and 8.28 mA cm−2, respectively. Furthermore, the P-PdMo bimetallene demonstrates outstanding ORR performance, with an onset potential of 1.0 V and a half-wave potential of 0.88 V. Overall, this study opens new avenues in metallene electrocatalysts and advancing toward the practical implementation of DAFCs.