Substrate-Driven Electrochemical Stabilization And Activation Of Ag Monolayers To Catalyze The Oxygen Reduction Reaction: Beyond Pt-Based Electrocatalysts
Keywords
Density functional theory; Oxygen reduction reaction; Rational design
Abstract
The search for inexpensive, stable and active electrocatalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) on hydrogen fuel cell cathodes is severely limited because only expensive and scarce elements such as gold and platinum-group elements do not dissolve or oxidize in the reaction environment at acceptable operating cathode potentials. Fortunately, the potential at which dissolution sets in for an element can be increased if a monolayer of such element strongly binds to a suitable substrate. Here, we apply the latter approach to stabilize Ag in the ORR reaction environment by placing a Ag monolayer on Nb, W, Ta, and Ru/Nb substrates. Our first principles calculations and ORR thermodynamics analysis show that all the systems are thermodynamically stable. Ag/Nb has a dissolution potential higher than that of Pt and can be as active toward ORR as Pt. Notably, the cost of Ag/Nb is strikingly lower than that of any Pt-based ORR catalyst.
Publication Date
6-22-2018
Publication Title
ChemistrySelect
Volume
3
Issue
23
Number of Pages
6536-6541
Document Type
Article
Personal Identifier
scopus
DOI Link
https://doi.org/10.1002/slct.201801270
Copyright Status
Unknown
Socpus ID
85048936948 (Scopus)
Source API URL
https://api.elsevier.com/content/abstract/scopus_id/85048936948
STARS Citation
Stolbov, Sergey and Ortigoza, Marisol Alcántara, "Substrate-Driven Electrochemical Stabilization And Activation Of Ag Monolayers To Catalyze The Oxygen Reduction Reaction: Beyond Pt-Based Electrocatalysts" (2018). Scopus Export 2015-2019. 10204.
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/scopus2015/10204