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Title: Ultrathin Metallic Nanowire-Based Architectures as High-Performing Electrocatalysts

Abstract

Fuel cells (FCs) convert chemical energy into electricity through electrochemical reactions. They maintain desirable functional advantages that render them as attractive candidates for renewable energy alternatives. However, the high cost and general scarcity of conventional FC catalysts largely limit the ubiquitous application of this device configuration. For example, under current consumption requirements, there is an insufficient global reserve of Pt to provide for the needs of an effective FC for every car produced. Therefore, it is absolutely necessary in the future to replace Pt either completely or in part with far more plentiful, abundant, cheaper, and potentially less toxic first row transition metals, because the high cost-to-benefit ratio of conventional catalysts is and will continue to be a major limiting factor preventing mass commercialization. We and other groups have explored a number of nanowire-based catalytic architectures, which are either Pt-free or with reduced Pt content, as an energy efficient solution with improved performance metrics versus conventional, currently commercially available Pt nanoparticles that are already well established in the community. Specifically, in this Perspective, we highlight strategies aimed at the rational modification of not only the physical structure but also the chemical composition as a means of developing superior electrocatalysts formore » a number of small-molecule-based anodic oxidation and cathodic reduction reactions, which underlie the overall FC behavior. In particular, we focus on efforts to precisely, synergistically, and simultaneously tune not only the size, morphology, architectural motif, surface chemistry, and chemical composition of the as-generated catalysts but also the nature of the underlying support so as to controllably improve performance metrics of the hydrogen oxidation reaction, the methanol oxidation reaction, the ethanol oxidation reaction, and the formic acid oxidation reaction, in addition to the oxygen reduction reaction.« less

Authors:
 [1]; ORCiD logo [1]
  1. Department of Chemistry, State University of New York at Stony Brook, Stony Brook, New York 11794-3400, United States
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Stony Brook Univ., NY (United States); Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), Upton, NY (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES)
OSTI Identifier:
1426831
Alternate Identifier(s):
OSTI ID: 1425102
Report Number(s):
BNL-203322-2018-JAAM
Journal ID: ISSN 2470-1343
Grant/Contract Number:  
SC0012704
Resource Type:
Journal Article: Published Article
Journal Name:
ACS Omega
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Name: ACS Omega Journal Volume: 3 Journal Issue: 3; Journal ID: ISSN 2470-1343
Publisher:
American Chemical Society (ACS)
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
30 DIRECT ENERGY CONVERSION; 37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY; catalysts; fuel cells; nanowires

Citation Formats

Li, Luyao, and Wong, Stanislaus S. Ultrathin Metallic Nanowire-Based Architectures as High-Performing Electrocatalysts. United States: N. p., 2018. Web. doi:10.1021/acsomega.8b00169.
Li, Luyao, & Wong, Stanislaus S. Ultrathin Metallic Nanowire-Based Architectures as High-Performing Electrocatalysts. United States. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsomega.8b00169
Li, Luyao, and Wong, Stanislaus S. 2018. "Ultrathin Metallic Nanowire-Based Architectures as High-Performing Electrocatalysts". United States. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsomega.8b00169.
@article{osti_1426831,
title = {Ultrathin Metallic Nanowire-Based Architectures as High-Performing Electrocatalysts},
author = {Li, Luyao and Wong, Stanislaus S.},
abstractNote = {Fuel cells (FCs) convert chemical energy into electricity through electrochemical reactions. They maintain desirable functional advantages that render them as attractive candidates for renewable energy alternatives. However, the high cost and general scarcity of conventional FC catalysts largely limit the ubiquitous application of this device configuration. For example, under current consumption requirements, there is an insufficient global reserve of Pt to provide for the needs of an effective FC for every car produced. Therefore, it is absolutely necessary in the future to replace Pt either completely or in part with far more plentiful, abundant, cheaper, and potentially less toxic first row transition metals, because the high cost-to-benefit ratio of conventional catalysts is and will continue to be a major limiting factor preventing mass commercialization. We and other groups have explored a number of nanowire-based catalytic architectures, which are either Pt-free or with reduced Pt content, as an energy efficient solution with improved performance metrics versus conventional, currently commercially available Pt nanoparticles that are already well established in the community. Specifically, in this Perspective, we highlight strategies aimed at the rational modification of not only the physical structure but also the chemical composition as a means of developing superior electrocatalysts for a number of small-molecule-based anodic oxidation and cathodic reduction reactions, which underlie the overall FC behavior. In particular, we focus on efforts to precisely, synergistically, and simultaneously tune not only the size, morphology, architectural motif, surface chemistry, and chemical composition of the as-generated catalysts but also the nature of the underlying support so as to controllably improve performance metrics of the hydrogen oxidation reaction, the methanol oxidation reaction, the ethanol oxidation reaction, and the formic acid oxidation reaction, in addition to the oxygen reduction reaction.},
doi = {10.1021/acsomega.8b00169},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1426831}, journal = {ACS Omega},
issn = {2470-1343},
number = 3,
volume = 3,
place = {United States},
year = {Mon Mar 19 00:00:00 EDT 2018},
month = {Mon Mar 19 00:00:00 EDT 2018}
}

Journal Article:
Free Publicly Available Full Text
Publisher's Version of Record at https://doi.org/10.1021/acsomega.8b00169

Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 12 works
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