title: Engineering high-performance Pd core-MgO porous shell nanocatalysts via heterogeneous gas-phase synthesis.
abstract: We report on the design and synthesis of high performance catalytic nanoparticles with a robust geometry via magnetron-sputter inert-gas condensation. Sputtering of Pd and Mg from two independent neighbouring targets enabled heterogeneous condensation and growth of nanoparticles with controlled Pd core-MgO porous shell structure. The thickness of the shell and the number of cores within each nanoparticle could be tailored by adjusting the respective sputtering powers. The nanoparticles were directly deposited on glassy carbon electrodes, and their catalytic activity towards methanol oxidation was examined by cyclic voltammetry. The measurements indicated that the catalytic activity was superior to conventional bare Pd nanoparticles. As confirmed by electron microscopy imaging and supported by density-functional theory (DFT) calculations, we attribute the improved catalytic performance primarily to inhibition of Pd core sintering during the catalytic process by the metal-oxide shell.
authors.affiliation: Nanoparticles by Design Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Onna, Okinawa 904-0495, Japan. mukhles@oist.jp.
authors.forename: Vidyadhar
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.forename: Cathal
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cassidy
authors.forename: Frank
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Abild-Pedersen
authors.forename: Jeong-Hwan
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Kengo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Aranishi
authors.forename: Sushant
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.forename: Chhagan
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lal
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gspan
authors.forename: Werner
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Grogger
authors.forename: Mukhles
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sowwan