Premium
Au/Ta(110) and Au/Nb(110) as Highly Active, Stable, and Inexpensive Catalysts for Oxygen Reduction Reaction on Hydrogen Fuel Cell Cathodes: Prediction from First Principles
Author(s) -
Campbell Tyler,
Alcántara Ortigoza Marisol,
Stolbov Sergey
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
chemcatchem
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.497
H-Index - 106
eISSN - 1867-3899
pISSN - 1867-3880
DOI - 10.1002/cctc.201902239
Subject(s) - catalysis , dissolution , hydrogen , electrocatalyst , oxygen reduction reaction , transition metal , chemistry , cathode , oxygen , monolayer , fuel cells , platinum , materials science , inorganic chemistry , combinatorial chemistry , chemical engineering , nanotechnology , electrochemistry , electrode , organic chemistry , engineering
We propose here structures – a gold monolayer on early transition metal surfaces – as a promising alternative to the prohibitively expensive platinum‐based electro‐catalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), which occurs on hydrogen fuel cell cathodes. Based on existing knowledge and educated guesses, we preselect Au/Nb, Au/Ta, Au/Mo, and Au/W as potential catalysts. Our calculations show that these materials are stable and have very high dissolution potentials. A deviation from the linear scaling for the binding energy of ORR intermediates, revealed for Au/Nb and Au/Ta, has a desired impact on the ORR thermodynamics. We find it to be a result of hybridization of p ‐electronic states of oxygen belonging the OOH‐radical and Au‐ p z states. The calculated ORR free energy diagrams show that the ORR onset potentials for Au/Nb and Au/Ta are significantly higher than that for Pt. We thus predict two inexpensive, thermodynamically and electrochemically stable, and highly active ORR catalysts.