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The PdSP metallene was synthesized by a facile one-step solvothermal method and employed as a bifunctional electrocatalyst for ethanol-assisted energy-saving H2 production.

The electrochemical reduction of nitrate to ammonia provides a green and delocalized route for ammonia synthesis under ambient conditions, which requires advanced catalysts with high activity and selectivity. In this work, we propose a two-step conversion strategy to construct hierarchical copper nanosheet-based Cu nanotubes using pre-synthesized Cu nanowires as the starting material for the electrocatalytic nitrate reduction reaction (NO

The design of bimetallic core-shell nanostructures with mesoporous surfaces is considered significant to strengthen the catalytic activity and stability for direct methanol fuel cells. Here, we report a flexible method to synthesize Au@Pd core-shell mesoporous nanoflowers (Au@mPd NFs) with Au core coated with mesoporous Pd nano-petals, in which polymeric micelle-assembled structures are used as templates to induce the formation of mesopores. Benefiting from the electronic and structural effects, Au@mPd NFs show excellent electrocatalytic activity and stability for methanol oxidation reaction in alkaline electrolytes. This study demonstrates a versatile strategy for the fabrication of core-shell mesoporous nanoflowers with adjustable composition.

Electrochemical reduction of nitrogen to ammonia has received considerable attention for sustainable nitrogen fixation, but the sluggish kinetics results in unsatisfactory activity and efficiency. Designing electrocatalytic active centers for nitrogen adsorption and activation is highly desired. Herein, we present an electrodeposition method for the synthesis of a phosphorus-doped mesoporous rhodium film on nickel foam for the electrochemical synthesis of ammonia. Due to the unique combination of components and structure, the obtained catalyst not only shows excellent catalytic performance (NH3 yield: 32.57 μg h-1 mg-1cat.; faradaic efficiency: 40.86%), but also exhibits almost no decrease in activity after the durability test. This research work can provide a facile synthesis strategy for non-metal-doped porous metal based catalysts, which would be promising for the electrochemical synthesis of ammonia.

Adjusting the morphology and composition of Pd-based materials is a promising strategy to improve their performance for the electrocatalytic formic acid oxidation reaction (FAOR). In this work, we report the preparation of B-doped PdRu nanopillar assemblies (B-PdRu NPAs) by a two-step method using NaBH4 as the boron dopant. On combining the hyper-branched structure and the multi-component synergistic effect, B-PdRu NPAs achieve a high mass activity of 1.09 mA μg-1Pd for the FAOR and retain 73.19% of the initial activity after 500 cycles, which is superior to undoped counterparts. The proposed synthesis strategy provides a simple method for the synthesis of metal-nonmetal nanomaterials with desired composition and design structure for electrocatalytic fields.

The development of doped noble metal catalysts with nonmetal elements to improve the catalytic performance toward the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) is significant for proton exchange membrane fuel cell technology. Here, we report a one-pot for dual-nonmetal-doping strategy for the synthesis of S and P-co-doped mesoporous PtPd nanocages (PtPdSP mNCs) by using pre-synthesized mesoporous PtPd nanocages (PtPd mNCs) as the precursor and triphenylphosphine sulphide as both S and P sources. Benefitting from the combined advantages of metal-nonmetal incorporation, hollow cavity and surface porosity, the resultant quaternary PtPdSP mNCs exhibit outstanding ORR activity and long-term stability. This research work provides a good strategy for the doping of two or more selected nonmetallic elements into metallic nanocrystals with a controllable structure and composition.

Electrochemical nitrogen reduction reaction (NRR) provides a facile and sustainable route to synthesize ammonia. The preparation of efficient and high-performance catalysts is one of the most important issues in large-scale applications of the electrochemical synthesis of ammonia. Herein, we have devised a simple method to fabricate three-dimensional palladium-silver-sulphur porous nanosponges (Pd–Ag–S PNSs) under room temperature. The porous network can provide more active sites and accessible channels for the reaction species. The incorporation of sulfur reduces the energy barrier of NRR and promotes the nitrogen hydrogenation to ammonia. Intrinsically, the Pd–Ag–S PNSs demonstrates a superior NRR performance with an NH3 yield of 9.73 μg h−1 mg−1cat. and a faradaic efficiency of 18.41% at −0.2 V, superior to those of the undoped Pd–Ag PNSs. The design of the three-dimensional metallic nanosponges with the doping of nonmetallic elements is a highly valuable strategy for NRR and other electrocatalytic reactions.

Electrochemical reduction of N2 represents a very attractive approach for sustainable NH3 production at environmental temperature and pressure. The design of highly branched Pd-based nanoarchitectonics is very important for the electrocatalytic N2 reduction reaction (NRR). Herein, we propose a very simple synthetic method for direct fabrication of unique bi-metallic PdRu nanorod assemblies (PdRu NRAs) with high yield in an aqueous solution. Owing to their branched shape together with bi-metallic compositions, the self-supported PdRu NRAs assembled with staggered nanorods show high catalytic activity and superior durability for the NRR. The presented direct synthetic strategy is very valuable for the design of active branched metallic catalysts for the NRR.

The rational design of metallic mesoporous nanoarchitectures with hollow cavities offers an effective way to boost their performance in various catalytic fields. Herein, we report a facile two-step strategy for the fabrication of trimetallic PtPdCo mesoporous nanopolyhedra with hollow cavities (PtPdCo MHNPs), in which Pd@PtPdCo core-shell mesoporous nanopolyhedra (Pd@PtPdCo MNPs) are directly prepared by a simple chemical reduction reaction followed by etching of the Pd cores. The PtPdCo MHNPs show enhanced electrocatalytic activity and durability for the methanol oxidation reaction, enabled by their mesoporous and hollow nanoarchitectures coupled with trimetallic compositions.

The controlled synthesis of Pt-based bimetallic porous nanostructures is highly important for the design of electrocatalysts with high performance. Herein, we report a one-step method for the direct synthesis of well-dispersed bimetallic PtNi mesoporous nanospheres (PtNi MNs) at high yield. Benefitting from the synergistic effect of composition (bimetallic PtNi) and structure (mesoporous and highly open structure), the as-obtained PtNi MNs exhibit superior catalytic activity and stability for the oxygen reduction reaction.

It is highly desired to design and develop highly efficient electrocatalysts for alkaline hydrogen evolution reactions. Herein, we report the development of ultrafine PtCo alloy nanoparticle decorated one-dimensional Co nanowires grown on Ti mesh (PtCo–Co/TiM). Owing to its favorable composition and structure, the PtCo–Co/TiM can deliver an ultrahigh current density of 46.5 mA cm−2 at an overpotential of 70 mV in 1.0 M KOH, superior to recently reported Pt-based electrocatalysts. This catalyst also provides excellent long-term electrochemical durability with its catalytic activity being maintained for at least 50 h.

Precise fabrication of porous ternary Pt-based nanodendrites is very important for electrochemical energy conversion owing to high surface area and great molecular accessibility of these nanodendrites. Herein, PtPdRu porous nanodendrites (PNDs) were prepared via a facile one-step ultrasonic irradiation approach at room temperature. Intriguingly, the ultrasonic irradiation drove the formation of PtPdRu PNDs with spatially interconnected porous structures, whereas magnetic stirring produced PtPdRu nanoflowers (NFs) with less porosity. The formation mechanism was ascribed to the acoustic cavitation effect and fast-reduction kinetics under sonication. The as-made PtPdRu PNDs displayed a superior catalytic performance towards ethanol oxidation reaction with a high tolerance for CO-poisoning as compared to PtPdRu NFs, PtPd NDs, and commercial Pt/C catalyst. 2017 The Royal Society of Chemistry. This work was made possible by the NPRP Grant No. NPRP 7-485-1-091 from the Qatar National Research Fund (a member of Qatar Foundation). The statements made herein are solely the responsibility of the authors. Scopus

Bimetallic Pt-based nanodendrites are of particular interest in various catalytic applications due to their high surface areas and low densities. Herein, we provide a facile method for one-pot synthesis of PtRu nanodendrites via the co-reduction of Pt and Ru precursors in oleylamine by H2. The as-fabricated PtRu nanodendrites exhibit superior catalytic activity and durability compared with PtRu nanocrystals (NCs), synthesized under the same reaction conditions, and the commercial Pt/C catalyst towards the methanol oxidation reaction (MOR).

The design of porous bimetallic nanocrystals (NCs) is very important for electrochemical energy conversion. Herein, we report an aqueous solution method for one-step fabrication of porous PtCu NCs assembled by spatially interconnected arms in high yield by a simple ultrasonic treatment of the reaction mixture at room temperature. The proposed method, without the need for multi-step synthesis, high temperatures, and organic solvents, shows an obvious advantage of simplicity for the feasible synthesis of bimetallic PtCu NCs with a porous structure. The as-made porous PtCu NCs are highly active and durable catalysts for the methanol oxidation reaction due to their porous structure and bimetallic composition.