Palladium phosphide nanoparticles embedded in 3D N, P co-doped carbon film for high-efficiency oxygen reduction

• Published in: Journal of materials science 2021-06, Vol.56 (17), p.10523-10536
• Main Authors: Xing, Shuaiqi, He, Miaomiao, Lv, Guangzhen, Xu, Fan, Wang, Feipeng, Zhang, Huijuan, Wang, Yu
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Carbon; Catalysts; Characterization and Evaluation of Materials; Chemical synthesis; Chemistry and Materials Science; Classical Mechanics; Crystallography and Scattering Methods; Energy Materials; Fuel cell industry; Fuel cells; Hydrogen as fuel; Materials Science; Nanoparticles; Nitrogen; Palladium; Palladium catalysts; Phosphides; Phosphorus; Platinum; Polymer Sciences; Proton exchange membrane fuel cells; Reduction; Size effects; Solid Mechanics; Substrates; Three dimensional composites
• ISSN: 0022-2461; 1573-4803
• DOI: 10.1007/s10853-021-05935-w

Seeking economical, efficient and stable catalysts to ameliorate the slow kinetics of oxygen reduction in cathode of proton exchange membrane fuel cells is still a great challenge. Herein, we design and synthesize an advanced Pd-based catalyst, where small palladium-phosphorus nanoparticles (Pd 3 P NPs) with ~ 5.2 wt% Pd loading are embedded in three-dimensional (3D) bubble-like nitrogen, phosphorus co-doped carbon (NPC) film (Pd 3 P@NPC). The resultant catalyst delivers markedly enhancive catalytic performance in comparison with commercial Pt/C, Pd/C, Pd 3 P and NPC toward ORR, benefiting from the specific 3D porous structure, nano-size effect and the electronic interaction between Pd 3 P NPs and NPC. Specifically, the half-wave potential of Pd 3 P@NPC (0.885 V) is 36 mV higher than that of commercial Pt/C, and the mass activity of Pd 3 P@NPC is 1.112 mA  μ g Pd - 1 at 0.85 V, which is 8.18-fold and 11.96-fold enhancement in regard to that of commercial Pt/C and Pd/C, respectively. It is interesting to note that the as-prepared Pd 3 P@NPC also maintains a predominant stability after 40,000 potential sweeping cycles. This new catalyst is expected to enlarge the species of 3D Pd-based composites such as palladium carbide, palladium nitride and palladium sulfide on heteroatoms doped carbon substrate for ORR.