Building bimetallic surfaces on nanocrystals renders them superior catalysts for energy-conversion reactions by virtue of the electronic effect. In the common types of alloy, core-shell, and Janus structures, the alloy forms in atom-level blending of elements while the latter two form with interfaces by contacts of different components in the structures where specific strain is generated due to lattice mismatch. The strain varies the surface states in the vicinities of interfaces and hence leads to further alterations in the catalytic behaviors of bimetallic nanocrystals. Recently, an icosahedron is known a structure with 30 twinned boundaries that induce large tensile strain on its 20 facets, significantly improving the surface reactivity of the nanoicosahedron in a catalytic reaction. In this talk, two stories about bimetallic nanoicosahedra for liquid fuel oxidation and photoreduction of nitro-compounds will be introduced. In the first part, we will demonstrate how monodispersed AuPd nanoicosahedra with photoactivity were fabricated in one-step aqueous synthesis. With these AuPd nanoicosahedra, the performances by their variable yet controlled surface compositions in ethanol oxidation via electrocatalysis and photoreduction of 4-nitrophenol aided by visible energy had been explored and will be presented. In the second part, we will further introduce the work where unique icosahedral PdRu nanoframes were also prepared in one-step strategy and water phase. We had explored the growth kinetics of the nanoframes and looked into their performances in electrocatalytic ethanol oxidation and CO<sub>2 </sub>reduction, that all will be presented, too.

Modulation of surface states on bimetallic nanoicosahedra toward catalytic energy conversion

2019 Fall National Meeting

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