Promoting the Electrocatalytic Performance of Noble Metal Aerogels by Ligand‐Directed Modulation

• Published in: Angewandte Chemie International Edition 2020-03, Vol.59 (14), p.5706-5711
• Main Authors: Fan, Xuelin, Zerebecki, Swen, Du, Ran, Hübner, René, Marzum, Galina, Jiang, Guocan, Hu, Yue, Barcikowki, Stephan, Reichenberger, Sven, Eychmüller, Alexander
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aerogels; Catalysts; electrocatalysis; Electron density; Gold; Impurities; laser; ligand; Ligands; Metals; Nanoparticles; Noble metals; Palladium; Porous materials
• ISSN: 1433-7851; 1521-3773
• DOI: 10.1002/anie.201913079

Noble metal aerogels (NMAs) are an emerging class of porous materials. Embracing nano‐sized highly‐active noble metals and porous structures, they display unprecedented performance in diverse electrocatalytic processes. However, various impurities, particularly organic ligands, are often involved in the synthesis and remain in the corresponding products, hindering the investigation of the intrinsic electrocatalytic properties of NMAs. Here, starting from laser‐generated inorganic‐salt‐stabilized metal nanoparticles, various impurity‐free NMAs (Au, Pd, and Au‐Pd aerogels) were fabricated. In this light, we demonstrate not only the intrinsic electrocatalytic properties of NMAs, but also the prominent roles played by ligands in tuning electrocatalysis through modulating the electron density of catalysts. These findings may offer a new dimension to engineer and optimize the electrocatalytic performance for various NMAs and beyond. Worth its weight in gold: Starting from laser‐generated inorganic‐salt‐stabilized metal nanoparticles, various impurity‐free noble metal aerogels are fabricated, allowing the investigation of their intrinsic properties. Moreover, prominent roles played by ligands, which are interpreted from electron transfer between NMAs and respective ligands, are demonstrated, offering a new dimension to engineer electrocatalytic properties of broad materials.