Monodispersed ultrathin twisty PdBi alloys nanowires assemblies with tensile strain enhance C2+ alcohols electrooxidation

Direct alcohol fuel cells (DAFCs) are powered by the alcohol electro-oxidation reaction (AOR), where an electrocatalyst with an optimal electronic structure can accelerate the sluggish AOR. Interestingly, strain engineering in hetero-catalysis offers a promising route to boost their catalytic activity. Herein, we report on a class of monodispersed ultrathin twisty PdBi alloy nanowires (TNWs) assemblies with face-centered structures that drive AORs. These thin nanowire structures expose a large number of reactive sites. Strikingly, Pd6Bi1 TNWs show an excellent current density of 2066, 3047, and 1231 mA mgPd(1) for oxidation of ethanol, ethylene glycol, and glycerol, respectively. The volcano-like behaviors observed on PdBi TNWs for AORs indicate that the maximum catalytic mass activity is a well balance between active intermediates and blocking species at the interface. This study offers an effective and universal method to build novel nanocatalysts in various applications by rationally designing highly efficient catalysts with specific strain.(c) 2023 Science Press and Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Published by ELSEVIER B.V. and Science Press. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

Direct alcohol fuel cells (DAFCs) are powered by the alcohol electro-oxidation reaction (AOR), which can be accelerated by an electrocatalyst with optimal electronic structure. Twisty PdBi alloy nanowires (TNWs) with face-centered structures were found to drive AORs. Pd6Bi1 TNWs exhibit excellent current densities for oxidation of ethanol, ethylene glycol, and glycerol.