Electrochemical quartz crystal microbalance study on Au-supported Pt adlayers for electrocatalytic oxidation of methanol in alkaline solution

Underpotential deposition(UPD) of Cu on an Au electrode followed by redox replacement reaction(RRR) of CuUPD with a Pt source(H2PtCl6 or K2PtCl4) yielded Au-supported Pt adlayers(for short,Pt(CuUPD-Pt4+)n/Au for H2PtCl6,or Pt(CuUPD-Pt2+)n/Au for K2PtCl4,where n denotes the number of UPD-redox replacement cycles).The electrochemical quartz crystal microbalance(EQCM) technique was used for the first time to quantitatively study the fabricated electrodes and estimate their mass-normalized specific electrocatalytic activity(SECA) for methanol oxidation in alkaline solution.In comparison with Pt(CuUPD-Pt2+)n/Au,Pt(CuUPD-Pt4+)n/Au exhibited a higher electrocatalytic activity,and the maximum SECA was obtained to be as high as 35.7 mA ?g?1 at Pt(CuUPD-Pt4+)3/Au.The layer-by-layer architecture of Pt atoms on Au is briefly discussed based on the EQCM-revealed redox replacement efficiency,and the calculated distribution percentages of bare Au sites agree with the experimental results deduced from the charge under the AuOx-reduction peaks.The EQCM is highly recommended as an efficient technique to quantitatively examine various electrode-supported catalyst adlayers,and the highly efficient catalyst adlayers of noble metals are promising in electrocatalysis relevant to biological,energy and environmental sciences and technologies.

Development of gold catalysts supported by unreducible materials:Design and promotions

Gold catalysis had been considered a highly efficient candidate for heterogeneous catalysis.It is well established that reducible-material-supported Au NPs are more reactive than the unreducible materials,unless specific modifications are carried out.However,unreducible materials such as carbon materials,silica,and alumina have particular advantages,including the easily controlled surface property,adjustable microscopic structure,earth-abundant reserves,and facile industrial manufacture.New strategies,influences,and mechanisms of modification to enhance the catalytic performance and thermal stability of unreducible-material-supported gold catalysts are among the most attractive research topics in gold catalysis.However,to the best of our knowledge,reports and reviews focused on unreducible-material-supported gold catalysts are lacking.Herein,the above concept will be thoroughly discussed regarding several typical unreducible supports,including the commonly used silica,alumina,carbon materials,and hydroxyapatite.The currently prevailing modification strategies will be summarized in detail from the aspects of theoretical conceptualization and practical methodology,including the ingenious synthesis method for catalyst with a specific structure,the currently prosperous electrostatic adsorption,colloid immobilization,and the applicative thermal gaseous treatment.The influences of physical and chemical modifications on the surface chemistry,electronic structure,interaction/synergy between Au-support/promoter,catalyst morphology and water precipitation will be also summarized.It is assumed that the review will shed light on significant studies on unreducible support in gold catalysis with the purpose of catalytic promotion and the promotion of the potential industrial demands in advance.Furthermore,the review will provide new insights into unreducible supports that can be potentially applied in gold catalysis.