Ru@Pt core/shell nanoparticles (NPs) for catalytic H2 oxidation in CO-contaminated hydrogen fuel feeds: A potential PEMFC anode electrocatalyst

INOR 483

Selim Alayoglu, salayogl@umd.edu, Department of Chemistry, University of Maryland, Department of Chemistry, College Park, MD 20742 and Bryan W. Eichhorn, eichhorn@umd.edu, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742.
We show on well-characterized architecturally controlled bimetallic nanoparticles of PtRu how to tune the H2 oxidation kinetics in CO-contaminated atmospheres. Various structural architectures of PtRu system, namely Ru-core Pt-shell, alloy, and physical mixture of monometallic particles have been synthesized and fully characterized by means of microscopy (TEM -equipped with EDS, and HRTEM), diffraction (XRD), and spectroscopy (FTIR –to probe surface adsorbed CO, and XPS). As-made NPs catalysts have been loaded in a home-built flow-through reactor and screened thermally with a VG Prima äB mass spectrometer. The Temperature Programmed Reaction (TPR) results suggest unique H2 activation behavior for each established structure. The core/shell structure has been shown to be much more active in oxidizing H2 in CO-contaminated environments than other architectures. The far superior catalytic behavior of Ru@Pt NPs to both monometallic Pt and PtRu alloy NPs of similar geometry and surface area have been attributed to the altered electronic structure of surface-Pt.
 

Nanoscience: Applications
8:30 AM-12:10 PM, Tuesday, August 21, 2007 BCEC -- 209, Oral

Division of Inorganic Chemistry

The 234th ACS National Meeting, Boston, MA, August 19-23, 2007