Enlightening the bimetallic effect of Au@Pd nanoparticles on Ni oxide nanostructures with enhanced catalytic activity

Bimetallic decoration of semiconductor electrodes typically improves catalytic and sensing performances because of a well-claimed synergistic effect. A microscopic and quantitative investigation of such an effect on energy bands of semiconductor can be really useful for further exploitation. Au, Pd...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Scientific reports 2023-02, Vol.13 (1), p.3203-3203, Article 3203
Main Authors: Bruno, Luca, Scuderi, Mario, Priolo, Francesco, Falciola, Luigi, Mirabella, Salvo
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
639/638/161
639/925/357/354
639/925/357/551
Chemical reduction
Chemoreception
Electrochemistry
Electrodes
Electron transfer
Electron transport
Humanities and Social Sciences
Hydrogen peroxide
multidisciplinary
Nanoparticles
Redox reactions
Science
Science (multidisciplinary)
Spectrometry
Spectroscopy
Synergistic effect
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Summary:Bimetallic decoration of semiconductor electrodes typically improves catalytic and sensing performances because of a well-claimed synergistic effect. A microscopic and quantitative investigation of such an effect on energy bands of semiconductor can be really useful for further exploitation. Au, Pd and Au@Pd (core@shell) nanoparticles (10–20 nm in size) were synthesized through chemical reduction method and characterized with scanning and transmission microscopy, Rutherford backscattering spectrometry, cyclic voltammetry electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and Mott–Schottky analysis. The nanoparticles have been used to decorate Ni-based nanostructured electrodes with the aim to quantitatively investigate the effect of decoration with mono or bimetallic nanoparticles. Decorated electrodes show higher redox currents than bare ones and a shift in redox peaks (up to 0.3 V), which can be ascribed to a more efficient electron transport and improved catalytic properties. These effects were satisfactorily modeled (COMSOL) employing a nano Schottky junction at the nanoparticle–semiconductor interface, pointing out large energy band bending (up to 0.4 eV), space charge region and local electric field (up to 10 8 V m - 1 ) in bimetallic decoration. Sensing test of glucose and H 2 O 2 by decorated Ni oxide electrodes were performed to consolidate our model. The presence of bimetallic nanoparticles enhances enormously the electrochemical performances of the material in terms of sensitivity, catalytic activity, and electrical transport. The modification of energy band diagram in semiconductor is analyzed and discussed also in terms of electron transfer during redox reactions.
ISSN:2045-2322
2045-2322
DOI:10.1038/s41598-023-29679-6