Article, 2024

Tailoring iridium–palladium nanoparticles with Ir-rich skin: a highly durable anode electrocatalyst for acidic water electrolysis via a facile microwave-assisted chemical reduction method

Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics, ISSN 1463-9084, 1364-5455, 1463-9076, 0956-5000, Volume 26, 11, Pages 9060-9072, 10.1039/d3cp04284g

Contributors

Karade, Swapnil Sanjay 0000-0002-7503-0912 [1] Sharma, Raghunandan 0000-0001-5962-983X [1] Morgen, Per 0000-0001-6994-9597 [1] Makovec, Darko 0000-0002-0190-6758 [2] Gyergyek, Sašo 0000-0002-7325-2984 [2] Andersen, Shuang Ma 0000-0003-1474-0395 [1]

Affiliations

  1. [1] University of Southern Denmark
    2. [NORA names: SDU University of Southern Denmark; University; Denmark; Europe, EU; Nordic; OECD];
  2. [2] Jožef Stefan Institute
    3. [NORA names: Slovenia; Europe, EU; OECD]

Abstract

Electrochemical water splitting under acidic conditions is a clean way towards producing hydrogen fuels. The slow kinetics of the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) at the anode is currently a bottleneck for commercial acceptance of this technology. Therefore, arriving at more efficient and sustainable OER electrocatalysts is highly desirable. We here demonstrate the synthesis of iridium-palladium (IrPd) alloy nanoparticles (2-5 nm) with variable average composition (Ir : Pd = 1 : 0, 1 : 1, 1 : 3, 1 : 6, 1 : 9 and 0 : 1) using a facile one-pot microwave-assisted chemical reduction method. The IrPd nanoparticles show structure- and composition-dependent OER performance in acidic media. Utilizing different reduction strengths and precursor ratios, successful alloy catalysts were prepared with Ir-rich skin and sublayers of different Pd compositions. Their structures were revealed using high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and hydrogen underpotential deposition (Hupd) studies. It turned out that (1) the alloy OER catalyst also has a high electrochemically active surface area for hydrogen adsorption/desorption, (2) the OER performance is strongly dependent on the surface Ir contribution and (3) the intact Ir skin is essential for electrocatalyst stability.

Keywords

IR contribution, IRPD, OER catalysts, OER performance, Pd composition, X-ray, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, acceptance, acidic conditions, acidic medium, acidic water electrolysis, active surface area, adsorption/desorption, alloy, alloy catalysts, alloy nanoparticles, anode, anode electrocatalyst, area, average composition, bottleneck, catalyst, chemical reduction method, commercial acceptance, composition, conditions, contribution, deposition, electrocatalyst stability, electrocatalysts, electrochemical water splitting, electrochemically, electrochemically active surface area, electrolysis, electron microscopy, evolution reaction, fuel, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, hydrogen, hydrogen adsorption/desorption, hydrogen fuel, hydrogen underpotential deposition, kinetics, medium, method, microscopy, microwave-assisted chemical reduction method, nanoparticles, oxygen, oxygen evolution reaction, oxygen evolution reaction electrocatalysts, oxygen evolution reaction performance, performance, photoelectron spectroscopy, precursor, precursor ratio, ratio, reaction, reduction, reduction method, reduction strength, skin, slow kinetics, spectroscopy, splitting, stability, strength, structure, study, sublayer, surface, surface area, synthesis, technology, transmission electron microscopy, underpotential deposition, water electrolysis, water splitting

Funders

  • Danish Energy Agency
  • Danish Ministry of Higher Education and Science
  • Innovation Fund Denmark
  • Slovenian Research Agency

Data Provider: Digital Science

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