Enhanced oxygen reduction reaction performance over Pd catalysts by oxygen-surface-modified SiC

doi:10.1016/S1872-2067(20)63716-0

Abstract

Abstract:

Obtaining a detailed understanding of the surface modification of supports is crucial; however, it is a challenging task for the development and large-scale fabrication of supported electrocatalysts that can be used as alternatives to Pt-based catalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). In this study, commercial silicon carbide (SiC) was modified through surface oxidization (O-SiC) to support the use of Pd nanoparticles (Pd NPs) as electrocatalysts for ORR. The obtained Pd/O-SiC catalysts exhibited better ORR activity, stronger durability, and higher resistance to methanol poisoning than that exhibited by commercial Pt/C. The role of the support in enhancing the ORR performance, especially the oxidization of SiC surfaces, was discussed in detail based on the experimental characterizations and density functional theory calculations. The underlying mechanism of the superior ORR performance of Pd/O-SiC catalysts was attributed to the charge transfer from SiC_xO_y to Pd NPs on the surfaces of SiC and the strong metal-support interactions (SMSIs) between Pd and SiC_xO_y_. The charge transfer enhanced the ORR activity by inducing electron-rich Pd, increased the adsorption of the key intermediate OOH, and decreased the Gibbs free energy of the critical ORR step. Furthermore, SMSIs enhanced the ORR stability of the Pd/O-SiC catalyst. This study provided a facile route for designing and developing highly active Pd-based ORR electrocatalysts.

Key words: Silicon carbide, Surface oxidization, Oxygen reduction reaction, Density functional theory, Charge transfer, Electron-rich Pd

Jing Li, Xiang Sun, Yongzheng Duan, Dongmei Jia, Yuejin Li, Jianguo Wang. Enhanced oxygen reduction reaction performance over Pd catalysts by oxygen-surface-modified SiC[J]. Chinese Journal of Catalysis, 2021, 42(6): 963-970.

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URL: https://www.cjcatal.com/EN/10.1016/S1872-2067(20)63716-0

https://www.cjcatal.com/EN/Y2021/V42/I6/963

Figures/Tables 7

Scheme 1. Synthesis of Pd/O-SiC.

Fig. 1. TEM characterization of the Pd/O-SiC catalyst. (a) TEM image (inset: Pd particle size in the Pd/O-SiC catalyst); (b) HRTEM image; (c) EDX pattern; (d-h) EDS elemental mapping images of Si, C, O, and Pd in Pd/O-SiC.

Fig. 2. XRD and XPS characterizations of catalysts. (a) XRD patterns; (b) Pd 3d; (c) Si 2p; (d) C 1s XPS high-resolution spectra of O-SiC and Pd/O-SiC with various Pd loadings.

Fig. 3. Electronic structures of Pd/O-SiC and Pd/C. Charge density difference, binding energies, and Bader charge of Pd4 supported on O-SiC (a,c) and graphene (b,d). The blue and yellow areas in Fig. 3(a)-(b) represent negative and positive charges, respectively.

Fig. 4. Electrochemical analysis of catalysts. (a) CV results for Pd/O-SiC, O-SiC, Pd/C, and Pt/C catalysts in O2-saturated 0.1 M KOH solution obtained with a scan rate of 100 mV s-1. (b) ORR polarization curves of different catalysts acquired at 1600 rpm. The potential scan rate was 20 mV s-1. (c) Rotation-rate-dependent voltammograms of Pd/O-SiC in 0.1 M KOH solution at 400-2500 rpm. The inset shows the K-L plots of the Pd/O-SiC catalyst. (d) RRDE measurements (1600 rpm) of Pd/O-SiC (inset: Electron-transfer numbers and peroxide percentage of the Pd/O-SiC electrode). (e) Tafel plots of Pd/O-SiC, O-SiC, Pd/C, and Pt/C catalysts. (f) Chronoamperometric responses for ORR at Pd/O-SiC and Pt/C electrodes. The inset shows the comparison of the methanol oxidation tolerance of Pd/O-SiC and Pt/C at 0.50 VRHE.

Fig. 5. Optimized structures and binding energies of OOH adsorbed on Pd4/O-SiC (a) and Pd4/C (b); (c) Gibbs free energy diagrams of ORR over Pd4/O-SiC and Pd4/C.

Fig. 6. DFT calculations of Pd4/SiC. (a) Bader charge and binding energies of Pd4 supported on SiC; (b) Charge density difference of Pd4/SiC. Blue and yellow areas represent negative and positive charges, respectively; (c) Optimized structures and binding energies of OOH adsorbed on Pd4/SiC; (d) Gibbs free energy diagrams of ORR over Pd4/SiC and Pd4/O-SiC.

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