High-efficiency and low-cost hybrid nanomaterial as enhancing electrocatalyst: Spongelike AWN core/shell nanomaterial with hollow cavity

A high-efficiency and low-cost spongelike Au/Pt core/shell electrocatalyst with hollow cavity has been facilely obtained via a simple two-step wet chemical process. Hollow gold nanospheres were first synthesized via a modified galvanic replacement reaction between Co nanoparticles in situ produced and HAUCl(4). The as-prepared gold hollow spheres were employed as seeds to further grow spongelike Pt shell. It is found that the surface of this hybrid nanomaterial owns many Pt nanospikes, which form a spongelike nanostructure. All experimental data including scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and UV-vis-near-infrared spectroscopy have been employed to characterize the obtained Au/Pt hybrid nanomaterial. The rapid development of fuel cell has inspired us to investigate the electrocatalytic properties for dioxygen and methanol of this novel hybrid nanomaterial. Spongelike hybrid nanomaterial mentioned here exhibits much higher catalytic activity for dioxygen reduction and methanol oxidation than the common Pt electrode.

Preparation of multilayer films containing pt nanoparticles on a glassy carbon electrode and application as an electrocatalyst for dioxygen reduction

In this paper, a simple route for the preparation of Pt nanoparticles is described. PtCl62- and [tetrakis-(N-methylpyridyl)porphyrinato] cobalt (CoTMPyP) were assembled on a 4-aminobenzoic acid modified glassy carbon electrode through the layer-by-layer method. The three-dimensional Pt nanoparticle films are directly formed on an electrode surface by electrochemical reduction of PtCl62- sandwiched between CoTMPyP layers. Regular growth of the multilayer films is monitored by UV-vis spectroscopy. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy verifies the constant composition of the multilayer films containing Pt nanoparticles. Atomic force microscopy proves that the as-prepared Pt nanoparticles are uniformily distributed with average particle diameters of 6-10 nm. The resulting multilayer films containing Pt nanoparticles on the modified electrode possess catalytic activity for the reduction of dissolved oxygen. Rotating disk electrode voltammetry and rotating ring-disk electrode voltammetry confirm that Pt nanoparticle containing films can catalyze an almost four-electron reduction of O-2 to water in 0.5 M H2SO4 solution.

Simple preparation method of Pd nanoparticles on an Au electrode and its catalysis for dioxygen reduction

A simple method for the fabrication of Pd nanoparticles is described. The three-dimensional Pd nanoparticle films are directly formed on a gold electrode surface by simple electrodeposition at -200 mV from a solution of 1 M H2SO4+0.01 mM K2PdCl4. X-Ray photoelectron spectroscopy verifies the constant composition of the Pd nanoparticle films. Atomic force microscopy proves that the as-prepared Pd nanoparticles are uniformly distributed with an average particle diameter of 45-60 nm. It is confirmed that the morphology of the Pd nanoparticle films are correlated with the electrodeposition time and the state of the Au substrate. The resulting Pd-nanoparticle-film-modified electrode possesses high catalytic activity for the reduction of dissolved oxygen in 0.1 M KCl solution. Freshly prepared Pd nanoparticles can catalyze the reduction of O-2 by a 4-electron process at -200 mV in 0.1 M KCl, but this system is not very stable. The cathodic peaks corresponding to the reduction of O-2 gradually decrease with potential cycling and at last reach a steady state. Then two well-defined reduction peaks are observed at -390 and -600 mV vs. Ag/AgCl/KCl (sat.). Those two peaks correspond to a 2-step process for the 4-electron reduction pathway of O-2 in this neutral medium.

Preparation of divalent rare earth ions in air by aliovalent substitution and spectroscopic properties of Ln(2+)

When alkaline earth ions in borates, phosphates or borophosphates [SrB4O7, SrB6O10, BaB8O13, MBPO5 (M=Ca,Sr)] are substituted partially and aliovalently by trivalent rare earth ions such as Sm3+, Eu3+, these rare earth ions can be reduced to divalent state by the produced negative charge vacancy V-M". The matrices must have appropriate structure containing a rigid three-dimensional network of tetragonal AO(4) groups (A=B,P). These groups can surround and isolate the produced divalent RE2+ ions from the reaction with oxygen. Therefore, this reduction reaction can be carried out even in air at high temperature. The produced divalent rare earth ions can be detected by luminescence and XANES methods and their spectroscopic properties are discussed.

Electrocatalytic reduction of O-2 and H2O2 at the glass carbon electrode modified with microperoxidase-11

Electrocatalytic reduction of O-2 and H2O2 at the glass carbon electrode modified with microperoxidase-11 immobilized with Nafion film has been studied by means of cyclic voltammetry and rotating disk electrode techniques. The modified electrode shows high catalytic activity toward the reduction of both O-2 and H2O2. The rate constants of Oz and H2O2 reduction at the modified electrode have been measured and compared. It is found that O-2 undergoes a four-electron reduction at the modified electrode and the catalytic activity for the reduction of O-2 is dependent on the pH of the solutions.

In situ external reflection FTIR spectroelectrochemical investigation of poly(o-phenylenediamine) film coated on a platinum electrode

The electrochemically deposited poly(o-phenylenediamine) film on a Pt electrode has been investigated utilizing in situ external reflection FTIR spectroelectrochemistry technique. The prepared ladder polymer film is found to be partially ring-opened. The dopant ClO4- is evidenced to orient in such a way that more than one oxygen atom attach to the charge sites of the polymer. This suggests that positive charges of oxidized polymer are partially delocalized over the whole chains. The proton movement observed during the oxidation reaction is associated with the solvated MeCN molecule. It is proposed that the proton diffusion, dissolvation and protonation of the film may be essential to the electrochemical reduction reaction of the film. Copyright (C) 1996 Elsevier Science Ltd.

MEASUREMENT OF CATALYTIC ACTIVITY VARIATION FOR H2O2 OXIDATION AT A COBALT PORPHYRIN COATED ELECTRODE

A rapid rotation-scan method was used for the electrocatalytic oxidation of H2O2 at a cobalt protoporphyrin modified pyrolytic graphite electrode (CoPP/PG). The rate constant of H2O2 oxidation at the CoPP/PG electrode at different potentials and in different pH solutions was measured. The variation of catalytic activity with reaction charges (Q) passed through the electrode was analyzed. This provided a convenient electrochemical method to study the passivation and poisoning of catalytic sites with time.

Hydrogen ion reduction in the process of iron rusting

Since the acceptance of the electrochemical rusting mechanism, oxygen reduction has been considered the main cathodic process, while H+ reduction has been overlooked for the past four decades because oxygen can be readily renewed due to the thin layer Of Solution film formed during atmospheric corrosion. This study shows that measurable hydrogen call be detected at the surface opposite to the corroding side of the specimen during wet-dry cycles, and a clear correlation exists between the quantities of hydrogen permeated through iron sheet and weight loss. Results Suggest the intrinsic importance of H+ reduction that merits further investigation. (c) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Adsorption of human serum albumin onto gold: a combined electrochemical and ellipsometric study

Human serum albumin adsorption onto gold surfaces was investigated by electrochemical and ellipsometric methods. Albumin adsorption onto gold was confirmed by the change of the open circuit potential of gold and by the ellipsometric parameter variation during albumin immobilization. In both experiments the parameters reached stable values within 10-15 min. The albumin adsorption layer thickness measured with the ellipsometer was about 1.5 nm. The adsorption of albumin Under applied potential was also investigated and it was found that both positive and negative applied potential promote albumin adsorption. Changes in the optical parameters of bare gold and albumin adsorbed onto gold surface under applied potential were investigated with in Situ ellipsometry. The similarity and reversibility of the optical changes showed that adsorbed albumin was stable on the gold surface Under the applied potential range (-200-600 mV). The cyclic voltammograms of K3Fe(CN)(6) on the modified gold surface showed that albumin Could partly block the oxidation and reduction reaction. (C) 2004 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

直接甲醇燃料电池耐甲醇氧还原电催化剂的研究

燃料电池以其高效、环境友好的发电方式，被誉为21世纪的能源技术。其中，直接甲醇燃料电池（DMFC）更以燃料甲醇来源丰富，价格低廉，储存、携带方便而成为近年的研究热点。目前DNDFC存在的一个主要问题是"甲醇透过"，即甲醇从阳极穿过固体电解质膜进入到阴极，而阴极催化剂一般是Pt/C，因此在阴极会同时发生甲醇氧化和氧还原，严重降低了电池的库仑效率和电压效率。此夕卜甲醇及其氧化中间产物还会使P口C中毒。虽然试验了一些低甲醇透过率的电解质膜，但仍无法完全消除甲醇透过。因此研制对氧还原催化活性高而对甲醇氧化没有活性，即耐甲醇的氧还原电催化剂是一个十分重要的课题。本论文主要从催化剂的组成、热处理、制备方法和载体等方面进行了相关研究，此外，还开展了生物燃料电池阴极电催化剂的研究。具体结果如下：1．热处理对电催化剂性能的影响（1）首次研究了炭载铂（Pt/C）对氧还原和甲醇氧化的催化活性与热处理温度的关系。发现P"C的催化活性随热处理温度的升高而降低，其原因是热处理使R／C中Pt的结晶度提高、粒径变大、表面浓度降低。但是，热处理使PUC催化甲醇氧化活性的降低程度远大于催化氧还原活性的降低程度。该研究提供了一种有效改善P口C催化剂耐甲醇性能的简便方法。（2）研究了炭载四狡基酞著钻（CoPcTc／C）和炭载四苯基铁叶琳（FeTPP／C）对氧还原和甲醇氧化的催化活性与热处理温度的关系。发现800℃热处理的CoPcTc／C对氧还原的催化活性最高；XPS和XRD分析表明，其活性位主要为含CoN4结构的物质。FeTPP／C催化剂与CoPcTc／C类似，700℃热处理的对氧还原催化活性最高。二者对甲醇氧化都没有活性。（3）首次研究了炭载四苯基铁叶琳一铂（FeTPP-Pt/C）复合催化剂对氧还原和甲醇氧化的催化活性与热处理温度的关系。发现热处理使FeTPP-Pt/C对氧还原的催化活性提高，并且优于相应P灯C，这是因为复合催化剂对氧还原的催化活性来源于FeTPP和Pt两部分。另外，FeTPP-Pt／C对甲醇氧化的催化活性随热处理温度的升高而降低，降低幅度大于相应Pt/C，这是因为在复合催化剂中，FeTPP在Pt/C表面的分散会降低甲醇与R的接触。700℃热处理的FeTPP-Pt/C对氧还原的催化活性最高，并且耐甲醇能力很强，非常适合作为DMFC阴极电催化剂。（4）首次研究了FeTPP-TiO2/C复合催化剂对氧还原的催化活性与热处理温度的关系。发现70。℃热处理的FeTPP-TiO2／C对氧还原的催化活性最高，并且稳定性好；复合催化剂提高了氧还原的电子转移数。这是因为TIOZ能够将FeTPP催化氧还原过程中产生的H2O2及时分解为O2和H2O，再重新被FeTPP还原。TIOZ的加入有望改善过渡金属大环化合物催化剂的长程稳定性。此夕卜该复合催化剂对甲醇氧化没有活性。2．制备方法对电催化剂性能的影响（1）首次同时研究了Pt/C对氧还原和甲醇氧化的催化性能，讨论了影响Pt/C催化活性的主要因素。XRD、XPS和TEM分析表明，无定型Pt含量高的Pt/C对氧还原的催化活性较高，表面氧化物含量高的Pt/C对甲醇氧化的催化活性较高。为制备耐甲醇能力强、催化氧还原活性高的Pt/C催化剂提供了理论参考。（2）比较了平衡吸附法和强制沉积法制备的FeTPP-Pt/C催化剂的性能，发现前者对氧还原和甲醇氧化的催化活性都高于后者，这是因为由强制吸附法制备的复合催化剂，FeTPP将一部分Pt覆盖，使其无法发挥活性。3．活性炭载体对Pt/C电催化剂性能的影响利用多种分析手段，系统比较了VulcanXC-72炭和上海松木炭的物理、化学性质对Pt/C电催化剂性能的影响。发现孔径适当、电导率高、灰分和表面含氧基团较少的活性炭作载体时，制得的P口C催化剂的性能较好。为PEMFC中电催化剂载体的选择提供了一些理论依据。4．生物燃料电池阴极电催化剂的研究首次制备了炭载微过氧化物酶-11（MP-11／C）电催化剂，通过循环伏安法、线性扫描法和旋转圆盘电极技术研究发现，MP-11／C对O2还原具有较高的催化活性，并且稳定性好，为生物燃料电池的研制提供了一种较好的酶固定方法。

Degradation mechanism of polystyrene sulfonic acid membrane and application of its composite membranes in fuel cells

The lifetime behavior of a H-2/O-2 proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell with polystyrene sulfonic acid (PSSA) membrane have been investigated in order to give an insight into the degradation mechanism of the PSSA membrane. The distribution of sulfur concentration in the cross section of the PSSA membrane was measured by energy dispersive analysis of X-ray, and the chemical composition of the PSSA membrane was characterized by infrared spectroscopy before and after the lifetime experiment. The degradation mechanism of the PSSA membrane is postulated as: the oxygen reduction at the cathode proceeds through some peroxide intermediates during the fuel cell operation, and these intermediates have strong oxidative ability and may chemically attack the tertiary hydrogen at the a carbon of the PSSA; the degradation of the PSSA membrane mainly takes place at the cathode side of the cell, and the loss of the aromatic rings and the SO3- groups simultaneously occurs from the PSSA membrane. A new kind of the PSSA-Nafion composite membrane, where the Nafion membrane is bonded with the PSSA membrane and located at the cathode of the cell, was designed to prevent oxidation degradation of the PSSA membrane in fuel cells. The performances of fuel cells with PSSA-Nafion101 and PSSA-recast Nafion composite membranes are demonstrated to be stable after 835 h and 240 h, respectively.

Electrocatalytic properties of Cu-Zr amorphous alloy towards the electrochemical hydrogenation of nitrobenzene

The Cu-Zr amorphous alloy was studied as an electrocatalyst towards the electrochemical hydrogenation of nitrobenzene. The electrocatalyst was activated by chemical etching in HF solution. Resulted changes in the morphology, chemical composition and crystalline structure of the electrocatalyst surface were characterised by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction and Auger electron spectroscopy. The electrocatalytic properties of the Cu-Zr amorphous alloy were assessed by voltammetric measurements. Due to the formation and aggregation of Zr residue modified Cu nanocrystals on the surface caused by the selective dissolution of Zr components in the chemical etching, the activated amorphous alloy is an effective electrocatalyst for the electrochemical reduction reaction of nitrobenzene with aniline as the main product. The positive shift of the peak potential and accompanying increase in the value of peak current in voltammograms with increasing Cu content and decreasing Zr content of the alloy surface in the chemical etching are indicative of improved electrocatalytic activity. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Magnet-assisted assembly of 1-dimensional hollow PtCo nanomaterials on an electrode surface

In this work, rapid and controllable confinement of one-dimensional (1D) hollow PtCo nanomaterials on an indium tin oxide (ITO) electrode surface was simply realized via magnetic attraction. The successful assembly was verified by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and cyclic voltammetry, which showed that a longer exposure time of the electrode to the suspension of these 1D hollow nanomaterials (magnetic suspension) led to a larger amount of attached 1D hollow PtCo nanomaterials.

Electrochemical characteristics of mediated laccase-catalysis and electrochemical detection of environmental pollutants

Laccase has been immobilized on the carbon nanotubes modified glassy carbon electrode surface by adsorption. As-prepared laccase retains good electrocatalytic activity to oxygen reduction by using 2,2'-azino-bis-(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) as the mediator. It can be used as a biosensor for the determination of catechol with broad linear range.

Ultrathin platinum-group metal coated hierarchical flowerlike gold microstructure: Electrochemical design and characterization

The deliberate tailoring of hierarchical flowerlike gold microstructure (HFGMs) at the ultrathin level is an ongoing challenge and could introduce opportunities for new fabrication and application in many fields. In this paper. a templateless, surfactantless, electrochemical strategy for fabrication of ultrathin platinum-group metal coated HFGMs is proposed. HFGMs were prepared by simple electrodeposition on an indium tin oxide (ITO) substrate.