title: Platinum multicubes prepared by ni(2+) -mediated shape evolution exhibit high electrocatalytic activity for oxygen reduction.
abstract: Pt(100) facets are generally considered less active for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). Reported herein is a unique Pt-branched structure, a multicube, whose surface is mostly enclosed by {100} facets but contains high-index facets at the small junction area between the adjacent cubic components. The synthesis is accomplished by a Ni(2+) -mediated facet evolution from high-index {311} to {100} facets on the frameworks of multipods. Despite the high {100} facet coverage, the Pt multicubes exhibit impressive ORR activity in terms of half-wave potential and current density nearly to the level of the most active Pt-based catalysts, while the durability of catalysts is well retained. The facet evolution creates a set of samples with tunable ratios of high-index to low-index facets. The results reveal that the excellent ORR performance of Pt multicubes is a combined result of active sites by high-index facets and low resistance by flat surface. It is anticipated that this work will offer a new approach to facet-controlled synthesis and ORR catalysts design.
authors.affiliation: Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials, School of Chemistry and Materials Science, and CAS Key Laboratory of Materials for Energy Conversion, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026 (P. R. China) http://staff.ustc.edu.cn/∼yjxiong/
authors.forename: Liang
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Chengming
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Bao Yu
authors.initials: BY
authors.lastname: Xia
authors.forename: Keke
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mao
authors.forename: Jiawei
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Xiaojun
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Yujie
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Xiong
authors.forename: Xiong Wen David
authors.initials: XW
authors.lastname: Lou
keywords: electrochemistry; nanostructures; oxygen; platinum; surface analysis