Pd-0@Polyoxometalate Nanostructures as Green Electrocatalysts: Illustrative Example of Hydrogen Production

Green-chemistry type procedures were used to synthesize Pd-0 nanostructures encapsulated by a vanadium-substituted Wells-Dawson-type polyoxometalate (Pd-0@POM). The cyclic voltammogram run with the Pd-0@POM-modified glassy carbon electrode shows well-defined waves, associated with Pd-0 nanostructures and the V-V/V-IV redox couple. The Pd-0@POM-modified electrode displayed remarkably reproducible cyclic voltammetry patterns. The hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) was selected as an illustrative example to test the electrocatalytic behavior of the electrode. The kinetic parameters of the HER show the high efficiency of the Pd-0@POM-modified electrode. This is the first example of electrochemical characterization of a modified electrode based on a vanado-tungstic POM and Pd-0 nanostructures.