title: Ligand-Free Noble Metal Nanocluster Catalysts on Carbon Supports via "Soft" Nitriding.
abstract: We report a robust, universal "soft" nitriding method to grow in situ ligand-free ultrasmall noble metal nanocatalysts (UNMN; e.g., Au, Pd, and Pt) onto carbon. Using low-temperature urea pretreatment at 300 °C, soft nitriding enriches nitrogen-containing species on the surface of carbon supports and enhances the affinity of noble metal precursors onto these supports. We demonstrated sub-2-nm, ligand-free UNMNs grown in situ on seven different types of nitrided carbons with no organic ligands via chemical reduction or thermolysis. Ligand-free UNMNs supported on carbon showed superior electrocatalytic activity for methanol oxidation compared to counterparts with surface capping agents or larger nanocrystals on the same carbon supports. Our method is expected to provide guidelines for the preparation of ligand-free UNMNs on a variety of supports and, additionally, to broaden their applications in energy conversion and electrochemical catalysis.
authors.forename: Ben
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, NingXia Medical University , Yinchuan 750004, China.
authors.forename: Huiqin
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yao
authors.forename: Wenqiao
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Lei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Jin
authors.forename: Islam M
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: Mosa
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery and Neag Cancer Center, University of Connecticut Health Center , Farmington, Connecticut 06232, United States.|School of Chemistry, University of Ireland at Galway , Galway, Ireland.
authors.forename: James F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Rusling
authors.forename: Steven L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Suib
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: He
mesh_terms: D002244:Carbon / Q000737:chemistry*; D002384:Catalysis; D004563:Electrochemistry; D006046:Gold / Q000737:chemistry; D053768:Metal Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry*; D019216:Metals, Heavy / Q000737:chemistry*; D010165:Palladium / Q000737:chemistry; D010984:Platinum / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D019216:Metals, Heavy; D010984:Platinum; D010165:Palladium; D002244:Carbon; D006046:Gold