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Yanfei Zhong

Bio: Yanfei Zhong is an academic researcher from Anhui University. The author has contributed to research in topics: Oleylamine & Electrocatalyst. The author has an hindex of 1, co-authored 3 publications receiving 7 citations.

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TL;DR: In this article, two kinds of one-dimensional ultrafine Pt-Cu nanowires (smooth surface and rugged surface) were synthesized via a wet chemical method and their distinct catalytic performances in electro-oxidation of alcohols were reported.
Abstract: Surface tailoring of Pt-based nanocatalysts is an effective pathway to promote their electrocatalytic performance and multifunctionality. Here, we report two kinds of one-dimensional (1D) ultrafine PtCu nanowires (smooth surface & rugged surface) synthesized via a wet chemical method and their distinct catalytic performances in electro-oxidation of alcohols. The alloyed PtCu nanowires having rough surfaces with atomic steps exhibit superior catalytic activity toward multiple electrochemical reactions compared with the smooth counterpart. Density functional theory simulations show the excellent reactivity of rugged PtCu na-nowires and attribute it to the surface synergetic Pt-Cu site which accounts for the promotion of water dissociation and the dehydrogenation of the carboxyl intermediate. The current study provides an insight into reasonable design of alloy nanocatalysts in energy-related electrocatalytic systems.

17 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In the present research, a facile acetic acid / NaBH 4 treatment technology is reported to effectively remove PVP and OAm from the surface of the Co-doped Pt NWs, and the morphology of poor crystalline platinum nanowires treated with NaBh 4 solution is transformed into nanowire networks (NWNs) with higher crystallinity.
Abstract: Surfactants or capping agents are usually employed to control the shapes and sizes of metal nanowires (NWs). Polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) and oleylamine (OAm) are the most common capping agents used in the synthesis of metal nanowires. However, these capping agents bind strongly onto the surface of the nanowires and severely prevent the reactant molecules from entering the active sites. In the present research, a facile acetic acid/NaBH4 treatment technology is reported to effectively remove PVP and OAm from the surface of the co-doped Pt NWs. Interestingly, the morphology of poor crystalline platinum nanowires treated with NaBH4 solution is transformed into nanowire networks (NWNs) with higher crystallinity. Furthermore, in comparison with the commercial Pt/C catalyst, the catalytic activity of co-doped Pt NWNs with clean surfaces shows improvements of up to 4.1 times for mass activity and 5.1 times for specific activity, respectively.

9 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, ultrafine candied haws-shaped PtWNi nanoalloys modified with the Ni species (Nin+) could be formed in the alkaline electroactivation process of PtWNI alloys.
Abstract: Hydrogen is a promising substitute for non-renewable fossil fuels. Producing hydrogen fuel by electrolyzing water is an effective strategy to address the growing environmental problems. Platinum (Pt) is still the most active electrocatalyst to catalyze the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in alkaline media. Herein, we demonstrate that ultrafine candied haws-shaped PtWNi nanoalloys modified with the Ni species (Nin+) could be formed in the alkaline electroactivation process of PtWNi alloys. Notably, the Ni species (Nin+) promoted the decomposition of water and produced hydrogen intermediates, which were then immediately adsorbed on the surface of Pt and recombined into molecular hydrogen. Moreover, these hydrogen intermediates also enhanced the instability of the HO-H bond, leading to an increase in the total activity.

1 citations


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Journal ArticleDOI
01 Sep 2021
TL;DR: In this article, a review summarizes the recent research on PEMFC performance degradation and the progress in developing mitigation strategies for avoiding the degradation, which are mainly induced by fuel/air impurities, unintentional harmful species during the preparation and use of the catalysts, as well as catalyst decomposition during the operation.
Abstract: The performance degradation of proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) is one of the most critical challenges in their practical applications. Degradations of electrocatalysts for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) at cathode and hydrogen oxidation reaction (HOR) at the anode are the major contributors to PEMFC degradation, which are mainly induced by fuel/air impurities, unintentional harmful species during the preparation and use of the catalysts, as well as catalyst decomposition during the operation. This review summarizes the recent research on PEMFC performance degradation and the progress in developing mitigation strategies for avoiding the degradation. Several aspects are emphasized as follows: the understanding of catalyst poisoning phenomena, influencing factors, and general degradation mechanisms. Several technical challenges are analyzed and the corresponding future research directions are proposed to facilitate the further research and development of mitigation strategies for PEMFC catalyst degradation.

20 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article , defect-rich Pt atomic layers are applied to an ordered Pt3Sn intermetallic core to achieve high tensile strain along the direction of the C-C bond.
Abstract: Surface and strain engineering are two effective strategies to improve performance; however, synergetic controls of surface and strain effects remains a grand challenge. Herein, we report a highly efficient and stable electrocatalyst with defect-rich Pt atomic layers coating an ordered Pt3Sn intermetallic core. Pt atomic layers enable the generation of 4.4% tensile strain along the [001] direction. Benefiting from synergetic controls of surface and strain engineering, Pt atomic-layer catalyst (Ptatomic-layer) achieves a remarkable enhancement on ethanol electrooxidation performance with excellent specific activity of 5.83 mA cm-2 and mass activity of 1166.6 mA mg Pt-1, which is 10.6 and 3.6 times higher than the commercial Pt/C, respectively. Moreover, the intermetallic core endows Ptatomic-layer with outstanding durability. In situ infrared reflection-absorption spectroscopy as well as density functional theory calculations reveal that tensile strain and rich defects of Ptatomci-layer facilitate to break C-C bond for complete ethanol oxidation for enhanced performance.

19 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors provide an overview on structure-based classification and the general synthesis of NMMN electrocatalysts, including post-synthetic treatments, such as the removal of surfactants to optimize the activity, and utilization of nanoparticles onto suitable support for practical electrocatalysis applications.
Abstract: Noble metal-based multimetallic nanoparticles (NMMNs) have attracted great attention for their multifunctional and synergistic effects, which offer numerous catalytic applications. Combined experimental and theoretical studies have enabled formulation of various design principles for tuning the electrocatalytic performance through controlling size, composition, morphology, and crystal structure of the nanoparticles. Despite significant advancements in the field, the chemical synthesis of NMMNs with ideal characteristics for catalysis, including high activity, stability, product-selectivity, and scalability is still challenging. This review provides an overview on structure-based classification and the general synthesis of NMMN electrocatalysts. Furthermore, postsynthetic treatments, such as the removal of surfactants to optimize the activity, and utilization of NMMNs onto suitable support for practical electrocatalytic applications are highlighted. In the end, future direction and challenges associated with the electrocatalysis of NMMNs are covered.

19 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article , the controllable synthesis of 1D multi-metal Pt-based alloys with enhanced electrochemical properties remains a challenge, despite the wide application of Ptbased catalysts in fuel cells and in the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER).

17 citations