Pt and Pt-based materials are widely used as electrocatalysts in energy-related applications such as fuels cells and hydrogen production, but suffer from drawbacks related to cost, inefficiency, and low durability. We report on investigations of Pt-monolayer based and non-Pt electrocatalysts to reduce Pt loadings or replace Pt electrocatalysts while maintaining or even enhancing activity with improved stability. Fundamental studies of surface-science based, model alloy and metal-monolayer electrocatalysts with well-controlled surface composition and surface structure provide insight into key factors that control electrocatalytic reactions on multimetallic systems. Three electrocatalysts were prepared in vacuum, characterized using surface science techniques, and evaluated for their electrocatalytic activity for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), and ethanol oxidation (EO): (i) Au sub-monolayer on Pd3Fe(111); (ii) Pt monolayer on nanofaceted surfaces of C/Re(11-21) and O/W(111); and (iii) Pt monolayer on polycrystalline Hf-Ir.

Insights from studies of multimetallic model electrocatalysts

245th National Meeting (2013)

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