Embedding oxophilic rare-earth single atom in platinum nanoclusters for efficient hydrogen electro-oxidation

Abstract Designing Pt-based electrocatalysts with high catalytic activity and CO tolerance is challenging but extremely desirable for alkaline hydrogen oxidation reaction. Herein we report the design of a series of single-atom lanthanide (La, Ce, Pr, Nd, and Lu)-embedded ultrasmall Pt nanoclusters for efficient alkaline hydrogen electro-oxidation catalysis based on vapor filling and spatially confined reduction/growth of metal species. Mechanism studies reveal that oxophilic single-atom lanthanide species in Pt nanoclusters can serve as the Lewis acid site for selective OH - adsorption and regulate the binding strength of intermediates on Pt sites, which promotes the kinetics of hydrogen oxidation and CO…

• TS
  Taishan Scholar Foundation of Shandong Province

  Award: tsqn201812074
• NN
  National Natural Science Foundation of China

  Awards: 21805307, 52277229, 22071127, 21905300, 51877216
• NS
  Natural Science Foundation of Shandong Province

  Award: ZR2020MB078
• NK
  National Key Research and Development Program of China

  Award: 2022YFA1503400