Electrifying model catalysts for understanding electrocatalytic reactions in liquid electrolytes

Faisal F, Stumm C, Bertram M, Waidhas F, Lykhach Y, Cherevko S, Xiang F, Ammon MM, Vorokhta M, Smid B, Skala T, Tsud N, Neitzel A, Beranova K, Prince KC, Geiger S, Kasian O, Wähler T, Schuster R, Schneider MA, Matolin V, Mayrhofer KJJ, Brummel O, Libuda J (2018)

Publication Status: Published

Publication Type: Journal article

Publication year: 2018

Journal

Nature Materials Nature Publishing Group

Publisher: NATURE PUBLISHING GROUP

Book Volume: 17

Pages Range: 592-+

Journal Issue: 7

DOI: 10.1038/s41563-018-0088-3

Abstract

Electrocatalysis is at the heart of our future transition to a renewable energy system. Most energy storage and conversion technologies for renewables rely on electrocatalytic processes and, with increasing availability of cheap electrical energy from renewables, chemical production will witness electrification in the near future(1-3). However, our fundamental understanding of electrocatalysis lags behind the field of classical heterogeneous catalysis that has been the dominating chemical technology for a long time. Here, we describe a new strategy to advance fundamental studies on electrocatalytic materials. We propose to 'electrify' complex oxide-based model catalysts made by surface science methods to explore electrocatalytic reactions in liquid electrolytes. We demonstrate the feasibility of this concept by transferring an atomically defined platinum/cobalt oxide model catalyst into the electrochemical environment while preserving its atomic surface structure. Using this approach, we explore particle size effects and identify hitherto unknown metal-support interactions that stabilize oxidized platinum at the nanoparticle interface. The metal-support interactions open a new synergistic reaction pathway that involves both metallic and oxidized platinum. Our results illustrate the potential of the concept, which makes available a systematic approach to build atomically defined model electrodes for fundamental electrocatalytic studies.

Authors with CRIS profile

Firas Faisal Lehrstuhl für Physikalische Chemie II Karl Mayrhofer Lehrstuhl für Elektrokatalyse (HIERN) Corinna Stumm Lehrstuhl für Physikalische Chemie II Manon Bertram Lehrstuhl für Physikalische Chemie II Fabian Waidhas Lehrstuhl für Physikalische Chemie II Yaroslava Lykhach Lehrstuhl für Physikalische Chemie II Feifei Xiang Lehrstuhl für Festkörperphysik Maximilian Michael Ammon Lehrstuhl für Festkörperphysik Armin Neitzel Lehrstuhl für Physikalische Chemie II Tobias Wähler Lehrstuhl für Physikalische Chemie II Ralf Schuster Professur für Physikalische Chemie Alexander Schneider Professur für Experimentalphysik Olaf Brummel Lehrstuhl für Physikalische Chemie II Jörg Libuda Professur für Physikalische Chemie

Additional Organisation(s)

Exzellenz-Cluster Engineering of Advanced Materials

Involved external institutions

Univerzita Karlova v Praze / Charles University in Prague CZ Czech Republic (CZ) Max-Planck-Institut für Eisenforschung GmbH (MPIE) / Max Planck Institute for Iron Research DE Germany (DE) Elettra Sincrotrone Trieste S.C.p.A. IT Italy (IT)

How to cite

APA:

Faisal, F., Stumm, C., Bertram, M., Waidhas, F., Lykhach, Y., Cherevko, S.,... Libuda, J. (2018). Electrifying model catalysts for understanding electrocatalytic reactions in liquid electrolytes. Nature Materials, 17(7), 592-+. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41563-018-0088-3

MLA:

Faisal, Firas, et al. "Electrifying model catalysts for understanding electrocatalytic reactions in liquid electrolytes." Nature Materials 17.7 (2018): 592-+.

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