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General Information
Categories: advanced materials, energy
BSA 08-31: Deposition of Contiguous Metal Adlayer on Transition Metal Nanostructures
BNL Reference Number: BSA 08-31
Patent Status: Application Number 20100099012 was published on April 22, 2010
Summary
Electron micrograph of platinum-coated palladium nanostructures. Scale bar is 20nm.
Platinum is a very good, albeit expensive, electrocatalyst. Despite their higher surface area, nanoparticles of platinum are several times less active when catalyzing the oxygen reduction reaction than is bulk platinum. Atomically thin layers of platinum can be formed as contiguous metal adlayers on transition metal nanostructures, such as nanorods, nanowires, and nanobars. These structures exhibit higher catalytic activity per mass of platinum than pure platinum nanoparticles.
Description
An electrocatalyst includes a cylindrical nanostructured core of a transition metal coated with a contiguous atomic layer of noble metal atoms. An exemplary structure would be palladium nanorods coated with a contiguous adlayer of platinum. The nanostructured core could also be a non-noble metal/noble metal core/shell nanostructure. A method of making such an electrocatalyst includes forming a continuous atomically thin adlayer of non-noble metal atoms on the nanostructured core and then immersing the coated nanostructures in a solution containing noble metal ions.
Benefits
This deposition method results in lower-cost, high specific activity electrocatalysts.
Applications and Industries
Applications for this technology include as cathode and/or anode catalysts for fuel cells, and catalysts for other noble metal-catalyzed reactions.
Have Questions?
For more information about this technology, contact Kimberley Elcess, (631) 344-4151.
