161
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020
R. Adzic, N. Marinkovic, Platinum Monolayer Electrocatalysts,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-49566-4_11
Chapter 11
Prospects for Platinum and Platinum
Group Metal Monolayer Electrocatalysts
Platinum monolayer electrocatalysts represent an extraordinarily attractive approach
to synthesizing electrocatalysts that promise to profoundly impact the science and
technology of electrocatalysis. This approach facilitates decreasing platinum content to ultimately low levels, increasing platinum utilization to close to 100%, and
increasing activity and stability of electrocatalysts through the controllable tuning
of supporting core–Pt monolayer shell interactions. Cores can be nanoparticles of
different compositions, sizes, and shapes that include metals, alloys, intermetallic
compounds, nanorods, nanowires, aerogels, oxides, carbides, and nitrides. Several
synthetic procedures have been developed to create nanoparticle cores and to place
Pt monolayers on their surface. For the latter step, a very versatile, simple, and elegant method was developed that involves the galvanic displacement of an underpotentially deposited Cu monolayer by a Pt monolayer [1]. In addition to
electrocatalysis, this method is already broadly applied in metal deposition processes [2].
Further improvements of these catalysts can be achieved by optimizing synthesis
procedures and by fine-tuning the Pt monolayer–support interaction. Methods for
modifying the monolayer–substrate interaction include using a Pd or other metal
monolayer as an “interlayer,” creating modified alloy surfaces, and using very stabile ordered intermetallic compounds as cores. Such tailoring of the Pt shell’s structure and properties can enhance the Pt-mass activity by about one order of magnitude
and can enhance the specific activity at 0.9 V twofold to threefold.
These Pt monolayer electrocatalysts hold great potential to increase our understanding of fuel cell electrocatalysis and to help resolve several problems of existing
fuel cell technology. A slightly contracted Pt(111) surface on a suitable support
provides a very active and stable catalyst for the ORR. The results obtained so far
provide ample illustration of the broad possibilities of the Pt monolayer core-shell
approach for designing novel electrocatalysts. A broad application can be expected
in the oxidation and reduction of a variety of organic molecules, in electroorganic
syntheses, and in simplifying the syntheses of pharmaceuticals and sensor technologies. Recycling Pt can be very efficient, close to 90%, which, combined with
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020
R. Adzic, N. Marinkovic, Platinum Monolayer Electrocatalysts,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-49566-4_11
Chapter 11
Prospects for Platinum and Platinum
Group Metal Monolayer Electrocatalysts
Platinum monolayer electrocatalysts represent an extraordinarily attractive approach
to synthesizing electrocatalysts that promise to profoundly impact the science and
technology of electrocatalysis. This approach facilitates decreasing platinum content to ultimately low levels, increasing platinum utilization to close to 100%, and
increasing activity and stability of electrocatalysts through the controllable tuning
of supporting core–Pt monolayer shell interactions. Cores can be nanoparticles of
different compositions, sizes, and shapes that include metals, alloys, intermetallic
compounds, nanorods, nanowires, aerogels, oxides, carbides, and nitrides. Several
synthetic procedures have been developed to create nanoparticle cores and to place
Pt monolayers on their surface. For the latter step, a very versatile, simple, and elegant method was developed that involves the galvanic displacement of an underpotentially deposited Cu monolayer by a Pt monolayer [1]. In addition to
electrocatalysis, this method is already broadly applied in metal deposition processes [2].
Further improvements of these catalysts can be achieved by optimizing synthesis
procedures and by fine-tuning the Pt monolayer–support interaction. Methods for
modifying the monolayer–substrate interaction include using a Pd or other metal
monolayer as an “interlayer,” creating modified alloy surfaces, and using very stabile ordered intermetallic compounds as cores. Such tailoring of the Pt shell’s structure and properties can enhance the Pt-mass activity by about one order of magnitude
and can enhance the specific activity at 0.9 V twofold to threefold.
These Pt monolayer electrocatalysts hold great potential to increase our understanding of fuel cell electrocatalysis and to help resolve several problems of existing
fuel cell technology. A slightly contracted Pt(111) surface on a suitable support
provides a very active and stable catalyst for the ORR. The results obtained so far
provide ample illustration of the broad possibilities of the Pt monolayer core-shell
approach for designing novel electrocatalysts. A broad application can be expected
in the oxidation and reduction of a variety of organic molecules, in electroorganic
syntheses, and in simplifying the syntheses of pharmaceuticals and sensor technologies. Recycling Pt can be very efficient, close to 90%, which, combined with