skip to main content
OSTI.GOV title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: Surface engineering of hierarchical platinum-cobalt nanowires for efficient electrocatalysis

Journal Article · · Nature Communications
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms11850· OSTI ID:1307420
 [1];  [2];  [3];  [4];  [4];  [3];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [1]
  1. Soochow Univ., Jiangsu (China)
  2. Peking Univ., Beijing (China)
  3. California State Univ. (CalState), Northridge, CA (United States)
  4. Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States)

Despite intense research in past decades, the lack of high-performance catalysts for fuel cell reactions remains a challenge in realizing fuel cell technologies for transportation applications. We report a facile strategy for synthesizing hierarchical platinum-cobalt nanowires with high-index, platinum-rich facets and ordered intermetallic structure. These structural features enable unprecedented performance for the oxygen reduction and alcohol oxidation reactions. The specific/mass activities of the platinum-cobalt nanowires for oxygen reduction reaction are 39.6/33.7 times higher than commercial Pt/C catalyst, respectively. Density functional theory simulations reveal that the active threefold hollow sites on the platinum-rich high-index facets provide an additional factor in enhancing oxygen reduction reaction activities. These nanowires are stable in the electrochemical conditions and also thermally stable. Our work may represent a key step towards scalable production of high-performance platinum-based nanowires for applications in catalysis and energy conversion.

Research Organization:
Brookhaven Science Associates, LLC, Upton, NY (United States); Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), Upton, NY (United States). Center for Functional Nanomaterials (CFN)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES)
Grant/Contract Number:
SC0012704; SC00112704
OSTI ID:
1307420
Alternate ID(s):
OSTI ID: 1336135
Report Number(s):
BNL-112606-2016-JA; ncomms11850
Journal Information:
Nature Communications, Vol. 7; ISSN 2041-1723
Publisher:
Nature Publishing GroupCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 523 works
Citation information provided by
Web of Science

References (55)

Electrocatalyst approaches and challenges for automotive fuel cells journal June 2012
Noncarbon Support Materials for Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cell Electrocatalysts journal December 2011
What Are Batteries, Fuel Cells, and Supercapacitors? journal October 2004
Alternative energy technologies journal November 2001
Fuel Cells: Will they Soon become a Major Source of Electrical Energy? journal May 1960
Nonprecious-Metal Catalysts for Low-Cost Fuel Cells journal October 2011
A review on non-precious metal electrocatalysts for PEM fuel cells journal January 2011
Nanostructured Pt-alloy electrocatalysts for PEM fuel cell oxygen reduction reaction journal January 2010
Shape-Control and Electrocatalytic Activity-Enhancement of Pt-Based Bimetallic Nanocrystals journal March 2013
Platinum-Based Oxygen Reduction Electrocatalysts journal April 2013
Shape-controlled synthesis of platinum nanocrystals for catalytic and electrocatalytic applications journal February 2009
Just a Dream—or Future Reality? journal April 2009
Towards the computational design of solid catalysts journal April 2009
Alloys of platinum and early transition metals as oxygen reduction electrocatalysts journal September 2009
Review: Durability and Degradation Issues of PEM Fuel Cell Components journal February 2008
Activity benchmarks and requirements for Pt, Pt-alloy, and non-Pt oxygen reduction catalysts for PEMFCs journal March 2005
Pd-Pt Bimetallic Nanodendrites with High Activity for Oxygen Reduction journal May 2009
Synthesis of Tetrahexahedral Platinum Nanocrystals with High-Index Facets and High Electro-Oxidation Activity journal May 2007
Tailoring properties and functionalities of metal nanoparticles through crystallinity engineering journal August 2007
Structural diversity in binary nanoparticle superlattices journal January 2006
Highly Crystalline Multimetallic Nanoframes with Three-Dimensional Electrocatalytic Surfaces journal February 2014
Catalysts by Platonic design journal July 2015
Enhancing the catalytic and electrocatalytic properties of Pt-based catalysts by forming bimetallic nanocrystals with Pd journal January 2012
Improved Oxygen Reduction Activity on Pt3Ni(111) via Increased Surface Site Availability journal January 2007
Seed-Mediated Synthesis of Core/Shell FePtM/FePt (M = Pd, Au) Nanowires and Their Electrocatalysis for Oxygen Reduction Reaction journal September 2013
Self-Supported Interconnected Pt Nanoassemblies as Highly Stable Electrocatalysts for Low-Temperature Fuel Cells journal June 2012
Tuning Nanoparticle Catalysis for the Oxygen Reduction Reaction journal June 2013
Platinum-Based Nanostructured Materials: Synthesis, Properties, and Applications journal June 2010
A General Method for Multimetallic Platinum Alloy Nanowires as Highly Active and Stable Oxygen Reduction Catalysts journal October 2015
Structurally ordered intermetallic platinum–cobalt core–shell nanoparticles with enhanced activity and stability as oxygen reduction electrocatalysts journal October 2012
Solvothermal Synthesis of Platinum Alloy Nanoparticles for Oxygen Reduction Electrocatalysis journal May 2012
Structure/Processing/Properties Relationships in Nanoporous Nanoparticles As Applied to Catalysis of the Cathodic Oxygen Reduction Reaction journal May 2012
Incoherent Imaging of Crystals Using Thermally Scattered Electrons journal May 1995
Plateau–Rayleigh crystal growth of periodic shells on one-dimensional substrates journal March 2015
A Facile Strategy to Pt 3 Ni Nanocrystals with Highly Porous Features as an Enhanced Oxygen Reduction Reaction Catalyst journal April 2013
FePt and CoPt Nanowires as Efficient Catalysts for the Oxygen Reduction Reaction journal February 2013
Compositional segregation in shaped Pt alloy nanoparticles and their structural behaviour during electrocatalysis journal June 2013
Synthesis and Characterization of 9 nm Pt–Ni Octahedra with a Record High Activity of 3.3 A/mg Pt for the Oxygen Reduction Reaction journal June 2013
Origin of the Overpotential for Oxygen Reduction at a Fuel-Cell Cathode journal November 2004
Changing the Activity of Electrocatalysts for Oxygen Reduction by Tuning the Surface Electronic Structure journal April 2006
Computational Design of Core/Shell Nanoparticles for Oxygen Reduction Reactions journal December 2013
Multiscale quantum/atomistic coupling using constrained density functional theory journal February 2013
Finite-Size Effects in O and CO Adsorption for the Late Transition Metals journal November 2012
Ab initiomolecular dynamics for liquid metals journal January 1993
Efficient iterative schemes for ab initio total-energy calculations using a plane-wave basis set journal October 1996
Projector augmented-wave method journal December 1994
Generalized Gradient Approximation Made Simple journal October 1996
Special points for Brillouin-zone integrations journal June 1976
Alternative energy technologies journal January 2000
Changing the Activity of Electrocatalysts for Oxygen Reduction by Tuning the Surface Electronic Structure journal April 2006
Self-Supported Interconnected Pt Nanoassemblies as Highly Stable Electrocatalysts for Low-Temperature Fuel Cells journal June 2012
Synthesis of Tetrahexahedral Platinum Nanocrystals with High-Index Facets and High Electro-Oxidation Activity. journal July 2007
What Are Batteries, Fuel Cells, and Supercapacitors? journal December 2004
FePt and CoPt Nanowires as Efficient Catalysts for the Oxygen Reduction Reaction journal February 2013
Iron-Based Catalysts with Improved Oxygen Reduction Activity in Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cells journal April 2009

Cited By (108)

Phase and Composition Tuning of 1D Platinum-Nickel Nanostructures for Highly Efficient Electrocatalysis journal May 2017
The Quasi‐Pt‐Allotrope Catalyst: Hollow PtCo@single‐Atom Pt 1 on Nitrogen‐Doped Carbon toward Superior Oxygen Reduction journal February 2019
Advanced Catalysts Derived from Composition‐Segregated Platinum–Nickel Nanostructures: New Opportunities and Challenges journal February 2019
Fine‐Tuning Intrinsic Strain in Penta‐Twinned Pt–Cu–Mn Nanoframes Boosts Oxygen Reduction Catalysis journal January 2020
Tuning Nanowires and Nanotubes for Efficient Fuel-Cell Electrocatalysis journal September 2016
Intermetallic Nanocrystals: Syntheses and Catalytic Applications journal February 2017
Defect Chemistry of Nonprecious-Metal Electrocatalysts for Oxygen Reactions journal May 2017
Stable High-Index Faceted Pt Skin on Zigzag-Like PtFe Nanowires Enhances Oxygen Reduction Catalysis journal January 2018
Random Alloyed versus Intermetallic Nanoparticles: A Comparison of Electrocatalytic Performance journal July 2018
Vertex-Type Engineering of Pt-Cu-Rh Heterogeneous Nanocages for Highly Efficient Ethanol Electrooxidation journal September 2018
Ultrathin PtNiM (M = Rh, Os, and Ir) Nanowires as Efficient Fuel Oxidation Electrocatalytic Materials journal February 2019
Crossed PtCoCu Alloy Nanocrystals with High-Index Facets as Highly Active Catalyst for Methanol Oxidation Reaction journal May 2018
The Advanced Designs of High-Performance Platinum-Based Electrocatalysts: Recent Progresses and Challenges journal June 2018
Tuning Multimetallic Ordered Intermetallic Nanocrystals for Efficient Energy Electrocatalysis journal December 2016
Anchoring PdCu Amorphous Nanocluster on Graphene for Electrochemical Reduction of N 2 to NH 3 under Ambient Conditions in Aqueous Solution journal April 2018
Structurally Ordered Fe 3 Pt Nanoparticles on Robust Nitride Support as a High Performance Catalyst for the Oxygen Reduction Reaction journal December 2018
Efficient Hydrogen Evolution Electrocatalysis Using Cobalt Nanotubes Decorated with Titanium Dioxide Nanodots journal February 2017
General π‐Electron‐Assisted Strategy for Ir, Pt, Ru, Pd, Fe, Ni Single‐Atom Electrocatalysts with Bifunctional Active Sites for Highly Efficient Water Splitting journal July 2019
Tungsten‐Doped L1 0 ‐PtCo Ultrasmall Nanoparticles as a High‐Performance Fuel Cell Cathode journal September 2019
General π-Electron-Assisted Strategy for Ir, Pt, Ru, Pd, Fe, Ni Single-Atom Electrocatalysts with Bifunctional Active Sites for Highly Efficient Water Splitting journal July 2019
Design and Application of Foams for Electrocatalysis journal May 2017
Constructing an Atomic Layer Pt Electrocatalyst with a Concave Curved Surface for the Oxygen Reduction Reaction journal July 2017
Phase Modulating of Cu–Ni Nanowires Enables Active and Stable Electrocatalysts for the Methanol Oxidation Reaction journal April 2019
2D Metal–Organic Framework Derived CuCo Alloy Nanoparticles Encapsulated by Nitrogen‐Doped Carbonaceous Nanoleaves for Efficient Bifunctional Oxygen Electrocatalyst and Zinc–Air Batteries journal September 2019
Hollow PtFe Alloy Nanoparticles Derived from Pt‐Fe 3 O 4 Dimers through a Silica‐Protection Reduction Strategy as Efficient Oxygen Reduction Electrocatalysts journal January 2020
Pt Islands on 3 D Nut-like PtAg Nanocrystals for Efficient Formic Acid Oxidation Electrocatalysis journal February 2018
Carbon Nanodots as Electrocatalysts towards the Oxygen Reduction Reaction journal January 2018
Hollow PtNi Nanochains as Highly Efficient and Stable Oxygen Reduction Reaction Catalysts journal January 2019
Coupling PtNi Ultrathin Nanowires with MXenes for Boosting Electrocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution in Both Acidic and Alkaline Solutions journal February 2019
High‐Indexed PtNi Alloy Skin Spiraled on Pd Nanowires for Highly Efficient Oxygen Reduction Reaction Catalysis journal March 2019
Fabrication of Superior Single‐Atom Catalysts toward Diverse Electrochemical Reactions journal February 2019
Platinum Group Nanowires for Efficient Electrocatalysis journal January 2019
Compressive surface strained atomic-layer Cu2O on Cu@Ag nanoparticles journal March 2019
One-nanometer-thick platinum-based nanowires with controllable surface structures journal May 2019
Concave octahedral Pd@PdPt electrocatalysts integrating core–shell, alloy and concave structures for high-efficiency oxygen reduction and hydrogen evolution reactions journal January 2016
Well-defined PtNiCo core–shell nanodendrites with enhanced catalytic performance for methanol oxidation journal January 2016
Facile construction of fascinating trimetallic PdAuAg nanocages with exceptional ethylene glycol and glycerol oxidation activity journal January 2017
Deficient copper decorated platinum nanoparticles for selective hydrogenation of chloronitrobenzene journal January 2017
Facile solvothermal synthesis of Pt 76 Co 24 nanomyriapods for efficient electrocatalysis journal January 2017
Recent advances in cobalt phosphide based materials for energy-related applications journal January 2017
Screw-like PdPt nanowires as highly efficient electrocatalysts for methanol and ethylene glycol oxidation journal January 2018
Strain engineering of metal-based nanomaterials for energy electrocatalysis journal January 2019
Hierarchical branched platinum–copper tripods as highly active and stable catalysts journal January 2018
1D alloy ultrafine Pt–Fe nanowires as efficient electrocatalysts for alcohol electrooxidation in alkaline media journal January 2018
Core@shell structured Co–CoO@NC nanoparticles supported on nitrogen doped carbon with high catalytic activity for oxygen reduction reaction journal January 2018
Synergistically enhanced hydrogen evolution electrocatalysis by in situ exsolution of metallic nanoparticles on perovskites journal January 2018
Hyperbranched PdRu nanospine assemblies: an efficient electrocatalyst for formic acid oxidation journal January 2018
Solvent-mediated length tuning of ultrathin platinum–cobalt nanowires for efficient electrocatalysis journal January 2018
Atomic (single, double, and triple atoms) catalysis: frontiers, opportunities, and challenges journal January 2019
Localized surface plasmon enhanced electrocatalytic methanol oxidation of AgPt bimetallic nanoparticles with an ultra-thin shell journal January 2019
Synthesis of ammonia via electrochemical nitrogen reduction on high-index faceted Au nanoparticles with a high faradaic efficiency journal January 2019
Regulating locations of active sites: a novel strategy to greatly improve the stability of PtAu electrocatalysts journal January 2019
Concave PtCo nanooctahedra with high-energy {110} facets for the oxygen reduction reaction journal January 2020
Ultra-small intermetallic NiZn nanoparticles: a non-precious metal catalyst for efficient electrocatalysis journal January 2020
One-pot synthesis of PtIn/3D-GNs composites with high alloying degree for electro-photo synergistic catalysis journal January 2019
In situ high-potential-driven surface restructuring of ternary AgPd–Pt dilute aerogels with record-high performance improvement for formate oxidation electrocatalysis journal January 2019
Facile synthesis of ultrathin Pt–Pd nanosheets for enhanced formic acid oxidation and oxygen reduction reaction journal January 2019
One-step solid-phase boronation to fabricate self-supported porous FeNiB/FeNi foam for efficient electrocatalytic oxygen evolution and overall water splitting journal January 2019
Advanced engineering of core/shell nanostructures for electrochemical carbon dioxide reduction journal January 2019
Interfacial synergy of ultralong jagged Pt 85 Mo 15 –S nanowires with abundant active sites on enhanced hydrogen evolution in an alkaline solution journal January 2019
SnO 2 patched ultrathin PtRh nanowires as efficient catalysts for ethanol electrooxidation journal January 2019
Asymmetric PdPtCu mesoporous hemispheres on nitrogen-functionalized graphene for methanol oxidation electrocatalysis journal January 2020
Cobalt-platinum nanomotors for local gas generation journal November 2019
Monatomic Co, CoO 2 , and CoO 3 nanowires on Ir(100) and Pt(100) surfaces: Formation, structure, and energetics journal August 2017
Surface-modulated palladium-nickel icosahedra as high-performance non-platinum oxygen reduction electrocatalysts journal July 2018
Annealing Behaviour of Pt and PtNi Nanowires for Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells journal August 2018
Stability of High-Performance Pt-Based Catalysts for Oxygen Reduction Reactions journal March 2018
Ultrathin PtPd-Based Nanorings with Abundant Step Atoms Enhance Oxygen Catalysis journal August 2018
Alloy Nanocatalysts for the Electrochemical Oxygen Reduction (ORR) and the Direct Electrochemical Carbon Dioxide Reduction Reaction (CO 2 RR) journal December 2018
Pt‐Based Nanocrystal for Electrocatalytic Oxygen Reduction journal December 2018
Intermetallic PtBi Nanoplates Boost Oxygen Reduction Catalysis with Superior Tolerance over Chemical Fuels journal September 2019
A Comprehensive Review on Controlling Surface Composition of Pt-Based Bimetallic Electrocatalysts journal April 2018
Crystallinity-Modulated Electrocatalytic Activity of a Nickel(II) Borate Thin Layer on Ni 3 B for Efficient Water Oxidation journal May 2017
Facile Solvothermal Synthesis of Pt 4 Co Multi-dendrites: An Effective Electrocatalyst for Oxygen Reduction and Glycerol Oxidation journal September 2017
In Situ Incorporation Strategy for Bimetallic FeCo-Doped Carbon as Highly Efficient Bifunctional Oxygen Electrocatalysts journal April 2018
Gold-Copper Aerogels with Intriguing Surface Electronic Modulation as Highly Active and Stable Electrocatalysts for Oxygen Reduction and Borohydride Oxidation journal March 2018
Nanocatalysts for Electrocatalytic Oxidation of Ethanol journal April 2019
Highly Efficient Carbon Dioxide Hydrogenation to Methanol Catalyzed by Zigzag Platinum-Cobalt Nanowires journal April 2017
Highly active zigzag-like Pt-Zn alloy nanowires with high-index facets for alcohol electrooxidation journal April 2019
Rational Design and Synthesis of Low-Temperature Fuel Cell Electrocatalysts journal March 2018
Electrode Materials for Rechargeable Zinc-Ion and Zinc-Air Batteries: Current Status and Future Perspectives journal May 2019
Fabrication and enhanced hydrogen evolution reaction performance of a Cu 3 BiS 3 nanorods/TiO 2 heterojunction film journal January 2018
One-step green synthesis of composition-tunable Pt–Cu alloy nanowire networks with high catalytic activity for 4-nitrophenol reduction journal January 2018
Ternary PtVCo dendrites for the hydrogen evolution reaction, oxygen evolution reaction, overall water splitting and rechargeable Zn–air batteries journal January 2018
Size-dependent synthesis and catalytic activities of trimetallic PdAgCu mesoporous nanospheres in ethanol electrooxidation journal January 2019
Ligand-mediated bifunctional catalysis for enhanced oxygen reduction and methanol oxidation tolerance in fuel cells journal January 2018
The OH -driven synthesis of Pt–Ni nanocatalysts with atomic segregation for alkaline hydrogen evolution reaction journal January 2019
Multidimensional nanostructured membrane electrode assemblies for proton exchange membrane fuel cell applications journal January 2019
Atomically dispersed metal catalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction: synthesis, characterization, reaction mechanisms and electrochemical energy applications journal January 2019
Cyanogel auto-reduction induced synthesis of PdCo nanocubes on carbon nanobowls: a highly active electrocatalyst for ethanol electrooxidation journal January 2019
Nanoscale engineering of porous Fe-doped Pd nanosheet assemblies for efficient methanol and ethanol electrocatalyses journal January 2020
Shaping well-defined noble-metal-based nanostructures for fabricating high-performance electrocatalysts: advances and perspectives journal January 2019
Understanding the roles of amorphous domains and oxygen-containing groups of nitrogen-doped carbon in oxygen reduction catalysis: toward superior activity journal January 2020
Transition metal-doped ultrathin RuO 2 networked nanowires for efficient overall water splitting across a broad pH range journal January 2019
Morphology controllable synthesis of PtNi concave nanocubes enclosed by high-index facets supported on porous graphene for enhanced hydrogen evolution reaction journal January 2019
Design of ultrathin Pt-Mo-Ni nanowire catalysts for ethanol electrooxidation journal August 2017
Highly Durable and Active Pt-Based Nanoscale Design for Fuel-Cell Oxygen-Reduction Electrocatalysts journal January 2018
Tungsten‐Doped L1 0 ‐PtCo Ultrasmall Nanoparticles as a High‐Performance Fuel Cell Cathode journal October 2019
Noble metal-free catalysts for oxygen reduction reaction journal November 2017
1-Naphthol induced Pt3Ag nanocorals as bifunctional cathode and anode catalysts of direct formic acid fuel cells journal October 2018
Highly crystalline PtCu nanotubes with three dimensional molecular accessible and restructured surface for efficient catalysis journal January 2017
Kinetically controlled synthesis of AuPt bi-metallic aerogels and their enhanced electrocatalytic performances journal January 2017
Preparation of Ni@Pt core@shell conformal nanofibre oxygen reduction electrocatalysts via microwave-assisted galvanic displacement journal January 2019
Semiconductor nanowire plasmonic lasers journal October 2019
Ternary PtPdCu Multicubes as a Highly Active and Durable Catalyst toward the Oxygen Reduction Reaction journal March 2018
Uniformly dispersed platinum-cobalt alloy nanoparticles with stable compositions on carbon substrates for methanol oxidation reaction journal September 2017
Wire-like Pt on mesoporous Ti0.7W0.3O2 Nanomaterial with Compelling Electro-Activity for Effective Alcohol Electro-Oxidation journal October 2019
Nanostructure Optimization of Platinum-Based Nanomaterials for Catalytic Applications journal November 2018