Electrocatalysis is considered as a cornerstone of bridging the renewable electrical energy resources (solar, hydro, and wind power, etc.) with chemical transformations central to energy storage, fuel production, and environmental remediation. Palladium-based materials are known for their advanced performances and versatility as electrocatalysts. However, it suffers from fast deactivation, losing selectivity over time. It has been suggested that strong binding of presented species in the reaction environment blocks the Pd sites, prevents refreshment of these Pd sites from further reactions. Alloying is an important strategy in catalysts design. In a heterogeneous system, the balance of adsorption and desorption of intermediates is a critical factor in determining activity and selectivity. Guided by density functional theory studies, we choose Ag to alloy with Pd in order to study the effect of alloy on electrocatalysis reactions. Ag is well-known to have weak interactions with the intermediates of interests. And it is capable to form an alloy with Pd of various ratios. By using the colloidal synthesis method, monodispersed AgPd bimetallic alloy nanoparticles (NPs) of different Ag/Pd ratios were obtained. AgPd NPs demonstrated enhance performances compared with Pd NPs in electrocatalytic hydrodechlorination (EHDC) reaction. It was shown that over alloy AgPd NPs, the removal efficiency of 2,4-dichlorophenol (DCP) to phenol (P) reached 90% at -0.70 V (vs. Ag/AgCl). Its performance displayed a volcano-type correlation between the Ag concentrations and catalytic performances. Further detailed kinetics study and DFT calculations uncovered that the desorption of P from the catalyst surface, rather than the H*ads generation, is the rate-determining step for EHDC, and P could present a poisoning effect by competing the active sites with 2,4-DCP. The enhanced electrocatalytic performance through the strategic design of catalyst composition is also proved by enhanced CO2 reduction reaction performance. A similar correlation between Ag concentration and selectivity of CO was observed. A series of experimental and theoretical studies will be discussed in detail. This work is not only beneficial for advancing the understanding of EHDC mechanism of Pd catalyst, but also instructive for the optimal design of alloy catalyst for other electrocatalysis.

Composition-promoted electrocatalytic performances on monodispersed silver-palladium alloy nanoparticles

Macromolecular Chemistry: The Second Century

[Author Benefits](https://scimeetings.acs.org/?utm_source=pubs_content_marketing&utm_medium=website&utm_campaign=0320_MCF_NPI_Launch_Spring_Homepage&ref=pubs_content_marketing)

[How to use SciMeetings](https://storage.googleapis.com/dl.morressier.com/acs/SciMeetings-ACSSpring2020-HowToGuide_M3020-Final.pdf)

[Frequently Asked Questions](https://storage.googleapis.com/dl.morressier.com/acs/SciMtng_ACSNMSp2020_FAQ_M3120_Final.pdf)

ACS Spring 2020 National Meeting & Expo

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.