Trace Pd modified intermetallic PtBi nanoplates towards efficient formic acid electrocatalysis

Abstract

Promoting formic acid electrochemical oxidation through the dehydrogenation path is critical for the development of direct liquid fuel cells. Herein, we report the modification of intermetallic PtBi hexagonal nanoplates by depositing trace amounts of Pd atoms (PtBi@1.8% Pd HNPs) to obviously improve the selectivity of the dehydrogenation path instead of the dehydration path, achieving highly efficient formic acid electrocatalysis. Impressively, PtBi@1.8% Pd exhibits superior mass activity of 4.17 A mg_Pt+Pd⁻¹, which is 27 and 9.6 times higher than that of commercial Pt/C and Pd black catalysts, respectively. During chronoamperometry measurements, PtBi@1.8% Pd maintains much higher mass activity than the benchmark catalysts. The excellent electrocatalytic performances are attributed to the synergetic effect between the tensile-strained/electronic-modified Pd and the electronic-modified intermetallic PtBi, providing a novel co-modification strategy to boost electrocatalysis.