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Title: Atomic layer deposition synthesis and evaluation of core–shell Pt-WC electrocatalysts

Journal Article · · Journal of Vacuum Science and Technology. A, Vacuum, Surfaces and Films
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1116/1.4902085· OSTI ID:22392102
 [1];
  1. Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware 19716 (United States)

Pt-WC core shell particles were produced using atomic layer deposition (ALD) to deposit Pt layers onto WC particle substrates. A range of Pt depositions were used to determine the growth mechanism for the Pt-WC powder system. TEM imaging and Cu stripping voltammetry found that Pt ALD growth on WC powder substrates was similar to that on WC thin films. However, excess free carbon was found to affect Pt ALD by blocking adsorption sites on WC. The Pt-WC samples were evaluated for the oxygen reduction reaction using a rotating disk electrode to obtain quantitative activity information. The mass and specific activities for the 30 and 50 ALD cycle samples were found to be comparable to a 10 wt. % Pt/C catalyst. However, higher overpotentials and lower limiting currents were observed with ALD Pt-WC compared to Pt/C catalysts, indicating that the oxygen reduction mechanism is not as efficient on Pt-WC as on bulk Pt. Additionally, these Pt-WC catalysts were used to demonstrate hydrogen evolution reaction activity and were found to perform as well as bulk Pt catalyst but with a fraction of the Pt loading, in agreement with the previous work on Pt-WC thin film catalysts.

OSTI ID:
22392102
Journal Information:
Journal of Vacuum Science and Technology. A, Vacuum, Surfaces and Films, Vol. 33, Issue 1; Other Information: (c) 2014 American Vacuum Society; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0734-2101
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English