Pd Nanowires Research Articles

OH Regulator of Amorphous CrOx on Defect-Rich Ultrafine Pd Nanowires Boosts Electrocatalytic Ethanol Oxidation.

Reasonable construction of high activity and selectivity electrocatalysts is crucial to achieve efficient ethanol oxidation reaction (EOR). However, the oxidation of ethanol tends to produce CO species that poison the active centers of the EOR electrocatalysts. Herein, a unique amorphous CrOx-protected defect-rich ultrafine Pd nanowires (CrOx-Pd NWs) is developed. On the one hand, the CrOx layer can act as a protective layer to maintain the structure of the nanowire. On the other hand, it can play the role of OH regulator to optimize the adsorption energy barrier of intermediate species in Pd nanowire, thereby enhancing the ability of the catalyst to resist CO poisoning. The CrOx-Pd NWs exhibit excellent EOR performance with 3.64 times higher mass activity and 50mV lower CO electro-oxidation potential than commercial Pd black. The results show that the CrOx layer promotes the dissociation of H2O into OHads, while the CrOx transfers electrons to neighboring Pd atoms optimizing the electronic configuration of Pd, thus selectively oxidizing ethanol to acetate and preventing the formation of toxic *CO. This work provides an effective strategy for the synthesis of nanowire materials with oxide/metal interfaces and offers new ideas for the design of catalysts that can efficiently drive EOR.

Long-term reliable wireless H2 gas sensor via repeatable thermal refreshing of palladium nanowire

The increasing significance of hydrogen (H2) gas as a clean energy source has prompted the development of high-performance H2 gas sensors. Palladium (Pd)-based sensors, with their advantages of selectivity, scalability, and cost-effectiveness, have shown promise in this regard. However, the long-term stability and reliability of Pd-based sensors remain a challenge. This study not only identifies the exact cause for performance degradation in palladium (Pd) nanowire H2 sensors, but also implements and optimizes a cost-effective recovery method. The results from density functional theory (DFT) calculations and material analysis confirm the presence of C = O bonds, indicating performance degradation due to carbon dioxide (CO2) accumulation on the Pd surface. Based on the molecular behavior calculation in high temperatures, we optimized the thermal treatment method of 200 °C for 10 minutes to remove the C = O contaminants, resulting in nearly 100% recovery of the sensor’s initial performance even after 2 months of contamination.

Interconnected Pd Nanowire Networks Stereoassembled on Biomass-Derived Porous Carbon Skeletons as Bifunctional Electrocatalysts for Efficient Methanol and Formic Acid Oxidation

Interconnected Pd Nanowire Networks Stereoassembled on Biomass-Derived Porous Carbon Skeletons as Bifunctional Electrocatalysts for Efficient Methanol and Formic Acid Oxidation

D-Band Engineering in Pd-Based Nanowire Networks for Further Enhancement in Ethanol Electrooxidation Reaction.

The development of highly efficient electrocatalysts for the ethanol oxidation reaction (EOR) is essential for the commercialization of direct ethanol fuel cells, yet challenges remain. In this study, a one-pot solution-phase method to synthesize Pd nanowire networks (NNWs) with very high surface-to-volume ratio having numerous twin and grain boundaries is developed. Using the same method, the Pd lattice is further engineered by introducing Ag and Cu atoms to produce AgPd, and CuPd alloy structure which significantly shifts the Pd d-band center upward and downward, respectively due to strain and ligand effects. Theoretical analysis employing density functional theory (DFT) demonstrates that such modification of the d-band center significantly influences the adsorption energies of reactants on the catalytic surface. Owing to their notably high surface-to-volume ratio and the presence of multiple twin and grain boundaries, Pd NNWs demonstrate significantly enhanced electrocatalytic activity toward EOR, ≈7.2 times greater than that of commercial Pd/C. Remarkably, compared to Pd NNWs, AgPd, and CuPd NNWs display enlarged and reduced electrocatalytic activity toward EOR, respectively. Specifically, Ag4Pd7 NNWs achieve a remarkable mass activity of 9.00Amgpd -1 for EOR, which is 13.6 times higher than commercial Pd/C.

Metal nanowires grown on Cu (100) substrate

We present the growth mechanisms of Ag, Ni, Pd, Co and Fe nanowires on Cu(100) substrate studied by the KMC simulations. It has been allows to found the optimum growth parameters (T, F, θ). Their effects have been discussed in details. The quality of nanowires has been determined by calculating the filling ratio. Our simulations exhibit that the best quality is obtained for Ag NWs. In fact, the maximum filling ratio of Ag NWs is reached for temperature range between 200 and 500 K. The increasing of the deposition flux makes decreases the filling ratio. We get an inverse behavior when the coverage is increased for two different temperatures.

Ultrafast (∼0.6 s), Robust, and Highly Linear Hydrogen Detection up to 10% Using Fully Suspended Pure Pd Nanowire.

The high explosiveness of hydrogen gas in the air necessitates prompt detection in settings where hydrogen is used. For this reason, hydrogen sensors are required to offer rapid detection and possess superior sensing characteristics in terms of measurement range, linearity, selectivity, lifetime, and environment insensitivity according to the publicized protocol. However, previous approaches have only partially achieved the standardized requirements and have been limited in their capability to develop reliable materials for spatially accessible systems. Here, an electrical hydrogen sensor with an ultrafast response (∼0.6 s) satisfying all demands for hydrogen detection is demonstrated. Tailoring structural engineering based on the reaction kinetics of hydrogen and palladium, an optimized heating architecture that thermally activates fully suspended palladium (Pd) nanowires at a uniform temperature is designed. The developed Pd nanostructure, at a designated temperature distribution, rapidly reacts with hydrogen, enabling a hysteresis-free response from 0.1% to 10% and durable characteristics in mechanical shock and repetitive operation (>10,000 cycles). Moreover, the device selectively detects hydrogen without performance degradation in humid or carbon-based interfering gas circumstances. Finally, to verify spatial accessibility, the wireless hydrogen detection system has been demonstrated, detecting and reporting hydrogen leakage in real-time within just 1 s.

Hydride formation and dynamic phase changes during template-assisted Pd electrodeposition

We investigated the structural evolution of electrochemically fabricated Pd nanowires in situ by means of grazing-incidence transmission small- and wide-angle x-ray scattering (GTSAXS and GTWAXS), x-ray fluorescence (XRF) and two-dimensional surface optical reflectance (2D-SOR). This shows how electrodeposition and the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) compete and interact during Pd electrodepositon. During the bottom-up growth of the nanowires, we show that β-phase Pd hydride is formed. Suspending the electrodeposition then leads to a phase transition from β-phase Pd hydride to α-phase Pd. Additionally, we find that grain coalescence later hinders the incorporation of hydrogen in the Pd unit cell. GTSAXS and 2D-SOR provide complementary information on the volume fraction of the pores occupied by Pd, while XRF was used to monitor the amount of Pd electrodeposited.

Strong Ligand Control for Noble Metal Nanostructures.

ConspectusNanosynthesis is the art of creating nanostructures, with on-demand synthesis as the ultimate goal. Noble metal nanoparticles have wide applications, but the available synthetic methods are still limited, often giving nanospheres and symmetrical nanocrystals. The fundamental reason is that the conventional weak ligands are too labile to influence the materials deposition, so the equivalent facets always grow equivalently. Considering that the ligands are the main synthetic handles in colloidal synthesis, our group has been exploring strong ligands for new growth modes, giving a variety of sophisticated nanostructures. The model studies often involve metal deposition on seeds functionalized with a certain strong ligand, so that the uneven distribution of the surface ligands could guide the subsequent deposition.In this Account, we focus on the design principles underlying the new growth modes, summarizing our efforts in this area along with relevant literature works. The basics of ligand control are first revisited. Then, the four major growth modes are summarized as follows: (1) The curvature effects would divert the materials deposition away from the high-curvature tips when the ligands are insufficient. With ligands fully covering the seeds, the sparser ligand packing at the tips would then promote the initial nucleation thereon. (2) The strong ligands may get trapped under the incoming metal layer, thus modulating the interfacial energy of the core-shell interface. The evidence for embedded ligands is discussed, along with examples of Janus nanostructures arising from the synthetic control, including metal-metal, metal-semiconductor, and metal-C60 systems using a variety of ligands. (3) Active surface growth is an unusual mode with divergent growth rates, so that part of the emerging surface is inhibited, and the growth is focused onto a few active sites. With seeds attached to oxide substrates, the selective deposition at the metal-substrate interface produces ultrathin nanowires. The synthesis can be generally applied to grow Au, Ag, Pd, Pt, and hybrid nanowires, with straight, spiral, or helical structures, and even rapid alteration of segments via electrochemical methods. In contrast, active surface growth for colloidal nanoparticles has to be more carefully controlled. The rich growth phenomena are discussed, highlighting the role of strong ligands, the control of deposition rates, the chiral induction, and the evidence for the active sites. (4) An active site with sparse ligands could also be exploited in etching, where the freshly exposed surface would promote further etching. The result is an unusual sharpening etching mode, in contrast to the conventional rounding mode for minimized surface energy.Colloidal nanosynthesis holds great promise for scalable on-demand synthesis, providing the crucial nanomaterials for future explorations. The strong ligands have delivered powerful synthetic controls, which could be further enhanced with in-depth studies on growth mechanisms and synthetic strategies, as well as functions and properties.

Atom-stepped surface-regulated Pd nanowires for boosting alcohol oxidation activity

A highly active surface can endow the electrocatalysts with extraordinary catalytic performances. However, it remains challenging to tailor the atomic packing characteristics and thus the physical and chemical characteristics of the electrocatalysts. Herein, penta-twinned Pd nanowires (NWs) with abundant high-energy atomic steps (i.e., stepped Pd) are synthesized by seeded synthesis on Pd NWs enclosed by (100) facets. Benefiting from the catalytically active atomic steps, such as [n(100) × m(111)] on the surface, the resultant stepped Pd NWs can work as an effective electrocatalyst for the ethanol oxidation reaction (EOR) and ethylene glycol oxidation reaction (EGOR), which are essential anode reactions in direct alcohol fuel cells (DAFCs). Compared with commercial Pd/C, the Pd nanowires bound by (100) facets and atomic steps both display enhanced catalytic activity and stability towards the EOR and EGOR. Importantly, the mass activities of the stepped Pd NWs toward the EOR and EGOR are 6.38 and 7.98 A mgPd−1, which are 3.1 and 2.6 times those of Pd NWs enclosed by (100) facets, respectively. Besides, our synthetic strategy also enables the formation of bimetallic Pd-Cu nanowires with abundant atomic steps. This work not only demonstrates a simple yet effective strategy to obtain mono- or bi-metallic nanowires with abundant atomic steps, but also highlights the significant role of atomic steps for boosting the activity of electrocatalysts.

Unveiling subsurface hydrogen inhibition for promoting electrochemical transfer semihydrogenation of alkynes with water

AbstractHighly selective electrocatalytic semihydrogenation of alkynes to alkenes with water as the hydrogen source over palladium-based electrocatalysts is significant but remains a great challenge because of the excessive hydrogenation capacity of palladium. Here, we propose that an ideal palladium catalyst should possess weak alkene adsorption and inhibit subsurface hydrogen formation to stimulate the high selectivity of alkyne semihydrogenation. Therefore, sulfur-modified Pd nanowires (Pd-S NWs) are designedly prepared by a solid-solution interface sulfuration method with KSCN as the sulfur source. The introduction of S weakens the alkene adsorption and prevents the diffusion of active hydrogen (H*) into the Pd lattice to form unfavorable subsurface H*. As a result, electrocatalytic alkyne semihydrogenation is achieved over a Pd-S NWs cathode with wide substrate scopes, potential-independent up to 99% alkene selectivity, good fragile groups compatibility, and easily synthesized deuterated alkenes. An adsorbed hydrogen addition mechanism of this semihydrogenation reaction is proposed. Importantly, an easy modification of commercial Pd/C by in situ addition of SCN− enabling the gram-scale synthesis of an alkene with 99% selectivity and 95% conversion highlights the promising potential of our method.

Operando X-Ray Absorption Spectroscopic Study on Electrochemical Oxygen Reduction Mechanism of Novel Platinum-Based Nanostructured Catalysts

Polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEFCs) have been developed for electric device applications such as fuel cell vehicles (FCV). PEFC cathode catalyst requires an excess Pt due to the degradation of oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) activity. Many research efforts aim to design Pt-based nanomaterials with controllable composition and structure to increase their activity while reducing the amount of Pt, like core-shell structure. The core-shell structure is obtained by Adzic’s method (Cu-UPD)1, where the underpotential deposition (UPD) of Cu mediator on Pt and the displacement of Cu mediator by Pt are conducted. This method requires the highly precise potential control for the UPD of Cu by means of potentiostats. In contrast, our previous research demonstrated the spontaneous two-step method (Galvanic cell) to synthesize spherical Pd@Pt core-shell catalyst without a special control of electrochemical equipment and reducing/stabilizing agents2. In this study, this Galvanic cell method was applied for Pd@Pt core-shell nanowire catalysts. Compared with the conventional Cu-UPD method, this method can synthesize the catalysts on a larger scale and form more uniform monolayer Pt shells, resulting in a higher ORR activity.Ultrathin Pd nanowires were prepared using surfactants as templates3. Briefly, palladium nitrate, ODA, and DTAB were dissolved in toluene under strong magnetic stirring. The mixture was placed in an inert atmosphere and sonicated for 20 min. NaBH4 was added to the above solution as a reducing agent. One hour later, the organic phase was recovered using distilled water and chloroform as extractants. After centrifugation, Pd nanowires can be obtained. After mixing the catalyst with carbon, the Pd/C powder is dispersed in the N2-saturated 0.01M CuSO4 and 0.5 M H2SO4 solution, with continual stirring. Then, a Cu wire is immersed in the above mixture2. Near 5 hours later, Cu wire is extracted, and successively N2-saturated 10 mM K2PtCl4 solution is added to the suspension to obtain Pd-nanowire@Pt/C. Electrochemical tests were performed in 0.1 M HClO4, and the catalyst ORR activity was evaluated at 0.9 V. XAS measurements of Pt L-edge were also performed under the same conditions.In contrast to the previously reported method (Cu-UPD)4, our proposed method does not require electrochemical equipment, or reducers/stabilizers, and uniform Pt shells in Pd-nanowire@Pt/C can be obtained. As shown in Figure 1, Core-shell catalysts have a lower white line intensity than Pt/C, meaning that they are more difficult to oxidize. The ligand effect causes surface Pt compression, and after calculating, the first-shell Pt-Pt bond length in the Pd-NW@Pt Gal. catalyst is shorter than that of the nanoparticle, which means a stable structure and less oxygen species generation. So, the catalysts synthesized using the Galvanic Cells method can provide higher ORR activity (specific activities: 0.8 mA/cm2 and mass activities: 1.3 A/mgPt) compared to the Cu-UPD method. Acknowledgement This work was supported by the project (JPNP20003) and a NEDO FC-Platform project commissioned by the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO). References; [1] Zhang, J.; Mo, Y.; Vukmirovic M. B.; Klie R; Sasaki K.; Adzic R R.; J. Phys. Chem. B 2004 108 (30), 10955-10964.[2] Wang, X.; Orikasa, Y.; Inaba, M.; Uchimoto, Y.; et al. ACS Catal., 2020, 10, 430– 434.[3] Teng, X.; Han, W.; Ku, W.; Hucker, M.; et al. Angew. Chem., Int. Ed. 2008, 47, 2055– 2058.[4] Koenigsmann, C., Adzic, R. R.; et al. J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2011 , 133, 9783– 9795. Figure 1

Graphene-Promoted Adhesion-Reduced Expansion of Discontinuous Palladium Nanowires upon Hydrogenation.

Monitoring conductivity changes of discontinuous palladium (Pd) nanostructures upon hydrogenation is becoming one of the most promising approaches toward hydrogen sensing. Development of sensors in this type has long been impeded due to strong ubiquitous interfacial adhesion which could distinctly restrict Pd expansion so as to hinder the closing of a nanogap. Herein, graphene underlayers were applied in the fabrication of nanogap-based hydrogen sensors to promote the lateral expansion of a Pd nanowire upon hydrogenation by reducing the adhesion between the metal and the substrate. In order to clarify details as well as mechanisms underlaid of graphene-enhanced Pd expansion, nanowire samples with serial lengths (6-48 μm) and gaps (0-260 nm in width) were controllably prepared on single-layer graphene (SLG), double-layer graphene (DLG), and quadruple-layer graphene (QLG, DLG × 2) via the combination of electron beam lithography (EBL) and electron beam deposition (EBD) technology. Response features and intrinsic analysis in physical sense of the graphene-based discontinuous Pd circuits upon hydrogen were established, in light of which the effects of underlayers on Pd expansion and on nanogap closing process were investigated. Such graphene-promoted expansion was demonstrated through the achievement of the closure of a large gap threshold (Gt) up to 260 nm as well as the systematical investigation of its influence on the sensing performance.

Wireless and Linear Hydrogen Detection up to 4% with High Sensitivity through Phase-Transition-Inhibited Pd Nanowires.

Palladium (Pd) has been drawing increasing attention as a hydrogen (H2) detecting material due to its highly selective sensitivity to H2. However, at H2 concentrations above 2%, Pd undergoes an inevitable phase transition, causing undesirable electrical and mechanical alterations. In particular, nonlinear gas response (ΔR/R0) that accompanies phase transition has been a great bottleneck for detecting H2 in high concentrations, which is especially important as there is a risk of explosion over 4% H2. Here, we propose a phase-transition-inhibited Pd nanowire H2 sensor that can detect up to 4% H2 with high linearity and high sensitivity. Based on the calculation of the change in free energy, we designed Pd nanowires that are highly adhered to the substrate to withstand the stress that leads to phase transition. We theoretically optimized the Pd nanowire dimensions using a finite element method simulation and then experimentally fabricated the proposed sensor by exploiting a developed nanofabrication method. The proposed sensor exhibits a high sensing linearity (98.9%) with high and stable sensitivity (ΔR/R0/[H2] = 875%·bar-1) over a full range of H2 concentrations (0.1-4%). Using the fabricated Pd sensors, we have successfully demonstrated a wireless sensor module that can detect H2 with high linearity, notifying real-time H2 leakage through remote communication. Overall, our work suggests a nanostructuring strategy for detecting H2 with a phase-transition-inhibited pure Pd H2 sensor with rigorous scientific exploration.

Au decorated Pd nanowires for methane oxidation to liquid C1 products

The direct methane (CH4) oxidation to high value-added C1 chemicals is a great promising strategy to explore the CH4 resource utilization. However, the low activity and selectivity of catalytic performance remains a great conundrum due to the difficulty to activate the CH bond and the unmanageable over oxidation. Herein, PdxAuy nanowires (NWs) with various Pd/Au atomic ratios are presented as ideal models to explore the atomic-level effect of PdAu atoms for the direct CH4 oxidation. The influence of reaction parameters are systematically investigated, and Pd9Au1 NWs display a maximum yield of 2890.3 μmol g−1 h−1 with 99% selectivity for the liquid C1 oxygenated products. This enhanced performance is attributed to the combination of one-dimensional structure and the synergistic effect from the suitable portion of Au on Pd sites, which regulates bond strength between adsorbed radicals (•OH, •OOH, •CH3) and PdAu atoms, confirmed by the density function theory calculations.

A Multiple Site Type Nucleation Model and Its Application to the Probabilistic Strength of Pd Nanowires

Pristine specimens yield plastically under high loads by nucleating dislocations. Since dislocation nucleation is a thermally activated process, the so-called nucleation-controlled plasticity is probabilistic rather than deterministic, and the distribution of the yield strengths depends on the activation parameters to nucleate. In this work, we develop a model to predict the strength distribution in nucleation-controlled plasticity when there are multiple nucleation site types. We then apply the model to molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of Pd nanowires under tension. We found that in Pd nanowires with a rhombic cross-section, nucleation starts from the edges, either with the acute or the obtuse cross-section angles, with a probability that is temperature-dependent. We show that the distribution of the nucleation strain is approximately normal for tensile loading at a constant strain rate. We apply the proposed model and extract the activation parameters for site types from both site types. With additional nudged elastic bands simulations, we propose that the activation entropy, in this case, has a negligible contribution. Additionally, the free-energy barriers obey a power-law with strain, with different exponents, which corresponds to the non-linear elastic deformation of the nanowires. This multiple site type nucleation model is not subjected only to two site types and can be extended to a more complex scenario like specimen with rough surfaces which has a distribution of nucleation sites with different conditions to nucleate dislocations.

PdBi Single‐Atom Alloy Aerogels for Efficient Ethanol Oxidation

AbstractSingle‐atom alloys (SAAs) have ignited a surge of unprecedented interest as the advanced nanomaterials and opened many opportunities for wide applications. Herein, 3D porous aerogels comprising ionic liquid (IL) functionalized PdBi SAA building blocks with atomically dispersed Bi on Pd nanowires (IL/Pd50Bi1) are synthesized with accelerated gelation kinetics, which could serve as high‐efficiency electrocatalysts for ethanol oxidation reaction (EOR). Benefiting from the unique structures of aerogels including synergistic effects of PdBi SAA nanowire networks and interface engineering, the optimized IL/Pd50Bi1 aerogels display a nearly fourfold enhancement in mass activity and boosted stability for EOR compared to commercial Pd/C. Density functional theory calculations further demonstrate that isolated Bi atoms on Pd nanowire networks decrease the energy barrier of the rate‐determining step, resulting in excellent electrocatalytic activity for EOR. This work provides a promising method for developing efficient SAA catalysts for fuel electrooxidation.

Location-specific fabrication of suspended nanowires using electrospun fibers on designed microstructure

While there have been remarkable improvements in the fabrication of suspended nanowires, placing a single nanowire at the desired location remains to be a challenging task. In this study, a simple method is proposed to fabricate suspended nanowires at desired locations using an electrospinning process and a designed microstructure. Using electrospun polymer fibers on the designed microstructure as a sacrificial template, various materials are deposited on it, and the electrospun fibers are selectively removed, leaving only nanowires of the deposited material. After the polymer fibers are removed, the remaining metal fibers agglomerate into a single nanowire. Throughout this process, including the removal of the polymer fibers, the samples are not exposed to high temperatures or chemicals, thereby allowing the formation of nanowires without oxidation or contamination. The diameter of the nanowire can be controlled in the electrospinning process, and a suspended Pd nanowire with a minimum diameter of 100 nm is fabricated. Additionally, a suspended single Pd nanowire-based H2 gas sensor fabricated using the proposed process exhibits a highly sensitive response to H2 gas.

The Binding Strength of Reactive H*: A Neglected Key Factor in Rh-Catalyzed Environmental Hydrodefluorination Reaction

The catalyzed reduction process plays an important role in the safe handling of environmental contaminants. It is generally believed that the adsorption of pollutants and cleavage of chemical bonds with high stability is the key and rate-determining step. Herein, using the H2–D2 exchange experiment, we observed a rapid decrease in the yield of HD on the Rh nanocatalyst, a state-of-the-art choice for the reduction of fluorinated organics, which indicates that the overadsorption of H/D atoms poisoned the Rh surface. The high binding energy of H/D on Rh decreases its reactivity as a reductant and is unfavorable for the adsorption/activation of the C–F bond. This dilemma is easily overcome by depositing Rh atoms onto Pd nanowires or commercial Pd/Al2O3. In addition to reducing the size of the Rh ensemble and therefore decreasing the H binding energy, Pd also directly spills over reactive H to the nearby Rh center; Pd@Rh shows 50 times higher mass activity and can remove persistent pollutants such as hexafluorobenzene and perfluorooctane acid under environmentally relevant conditions. Interestingly, the Pd@Rh catalyst hydrogenates halogenated phenols into value-added cyclohexanone with high selectivity. This work provides new insight into the design of advantageous nanocatalysts for environmental improvement and the recovery of resources from wastewater.

Low content Ru-incorporated Pd nanowires for bifunctional electrocatalysis.

This paper reports the facile synthesis and characterization of carbon supported Pd nanowires with low Ru contents (nRuPd/C). An anti-galvanic replacement reaction involving the reduction of Ru(iii) ions by nanoporous Pd nanowires to form nRuPd alloy nanowires was observed. A series of nRuPd/C materials with various Ru/Pd ratios were prepared by the spontaneous deposition of a Ru cluster on a Pd nanowire core using different Ru precursor concentrations (RuCl3 = 0.5, 1.0, 5.0 mM). The successful formation of low content Ru-incorporated Pd nanowires without individual Ru clusters were confirmed using physicochemical characterization. The electrocatalytic activity of the nRuPd/C for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in alkaline media was measured by RDE polarization experiments. The electrocatalytic activity varied greatly depending on the Ru content on the Pd nanowires. Among the catalysts, the prepared Pd nanowires incorporated with a very small amount of Ru (ca. 1.4 wt%) exhibited excellent electrocatalytic activity toward the ORR and HER: positive ORR/HER onset and E1/2 potentials, higher n value, and lower Tafel slope.

Ultrathin Pd and Pt nanowires for potential applications as hydrogen economy

In this work, we report that palladium (Pd) and platinum (Pt) nanowires (NWs) are excellent materials for hydrogen storage by comparing the USDOE (United states department of energy) criteria. Here, we have focused on the structural, adsorption, and electronic properties of one-dimensional (1D) metallic (Pd and Pt) NWs using density functional theory (DFT). The band structure of all the systems shows the metallic nature. The maximum adsorption energies of hydrogen (H2) molecules are −5.06 eV and −4.25 eV for Pd and Pt NWs, respectively. The chemisorbed absorption occurs and therefore, the surface ionic bonding of NWs plays a significant role in the facilitation of H2 adsorption. The hydrogen adsorption based on Pd NW depends on reaction and recovering rates, which is directly related to their surface/volume ratio and brings to hydrogen adsorption. The hydrogen gravimetric storage capacities are found at 9.01 wt. % for Pd MNWs and 5.04 wt. % for Pt NWs, respectively.