Nanoalloy catalysts for electrochemical energy conversion and storage reactions

Abstract

A key challenge to the exploration of electrochemical energy conversion and storage is the ability to engineer the catalyst with low cost, high activity and high stability. Existing catalysts often contain a high percentage of noble metals such as Pt and Pd. One important approach to this challenge involves alloying noble metals with other transition metals in the form of a nanoalloy, which promises not only significant reduction of noble metals in the catalyst but also enhanced catalytic activity and stability in comparison with traditional approaches. In this article, some of the recent insights into the structural and electrocatalytic properties of nanoalloy catalysts in which Pt is alloyed with a second and/or third transition metal (M/M′ = Co, Fe, V, Ni, Ir, etc.), for electrocatalytic oxygen reduction reaction and ethanol oxidation reaction in fuel cells, and oxygen reduction and evolution reactions in rechargeable lithium-air batteries are highlighted. The correlation of the electrocatalytic properties of nanoalloys in these systems with the atomic-scale chemical/structural ordering in the nanoalloy is an important focal point of the investigations, which has significant implications for the design of low-cost, active, and durable catalysts for sustainable energy production and conversion reactions.