title: Nanofaceted C/Re(1121): fabrication, structure, and template for synthesizing nanostructured model Pt electrocatalyst for hydrogen evolution reaction.
abstract: We report the first observation of carbon-induced nanofaceting of a Re single crystal and its application in synthesizing a nanostructured model Pt electrocatalyst investigated using multiple surface science techniques, including low-energy electron diffraction, Auger electron spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, low-energy ion scattering, and scanning tunneling microscopy, combined with electrochemical reaction measurements. Upon annealing in acetylene at 700 K followed by annealing in vacuum at 1100 K, an initially planar Re(112̅1) surface becomes completely faceted and covered with three-sided nanopyramids exposing (011̅1), (101̅1), and (112̅0) faces. Using the faceted C/Re(112̅1) surface as a template, we have successfully fabricated a nanostructured Pt monolayer (ML) electrocatalyst. The Pt ML supported on the C/Re nanotemplate exhibits higher activity for the hydrogen evolution reaction than Pt(111). This is the first application of faceted metal surfaces as templates for synthesis of nanoscale model electrocatalyst with well-defined (facet) surface structure and controlled (facet) size on the nanometer scale, illustrating the potential for future studies of nanostructured bimetallic systems relevant to electrocatalytic reactions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, United States.
authors.forename: Xiaofang
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Bruce E
authors.initials: BE
authors.lastname: Koel
authors.forename: Hao
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Wenhua
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Robert A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Bartynski
mesh_terms: D002244:Carbon / Q000737:chemistry*; D002384:Catalysis; D004563:Electrochemistry; D006859:Hydrogen / Q000737:chemistry*; D049329:Nanostructures / Q000737:chemistry*; D036103:Nanotechnology / Q000379:methods*; D010984:Platinum / Q000737:chemistry*; D012211:Rhenium / Q000737:chemistry*; D013499:Surface Properties
chemical_list: D010984:Platinum; D012211:Rhenium; D002244:Carbon; D006859:Hydrogen