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Synthesis and Characterization of AgPd Bimetallic Nanoparticles as Efficient Electrocatalysts for Oxygen Reduction Reaction

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Abstract

The synthesis of AgPd bimetallic nanoparticles was carried out by a simple polyol method in order to obtain an improved control of the morphology and the particle size. The nanoparticles were characterized using aberration-corrected scanning/transmission electron microscopy (STEM). Also, parallel beam X-ray diffraction analysis was carried out to evaluate the crystallographic structure. High-angle annular dark field (HAADF)-STEM images of the AgPd bimetallic nanoparticles were obtained. The contrast of the images shows that the nanoparticles have an alloy structure with an average size of 10.17 nm and icosahedral morphology. Electrochemical characterization was carried out to analyze the catalytic behavior of the bimetallic nanoparticles. Ag2Pd1/C bimetallic nanoparticles showed a better catalytic activity towards oxygen reduction reaction than Ag/C at room temperature. Furthermore, simulations based on DFT method have been used to describe the crystalline structure of nanoparticles, revealing that the electronic structure is significantly affected by the elemental distribution.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to acknowledge PAPIIT-DGAPA for financial support with grant No. IN113317. The authors would like to acknowledge to the Laboratorio Nacional de Caracterización de Materiales (LaNCaM) at the CFATA-UNAM.

Funding

PAPIIT-DGAPA Grant No. IN113317.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Posgrado en Ciencia e Ingeniería de Materiales, Centro de Física Aplicada y Tecnología Avanzada, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Boulevard Juriquilla 3001, 76230, Santiago de Querétaro, Qro., Mexico

    A. Santoveña-Uribe

  2. Centro de Física Aplicada y Tecnología Avanzada, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Boulevard Juriquilla 3001, 76230, Santiago de Querétaro, Qro., Mexico

    J. Maya-Cornejo & R. Esparza

  3. Laboratorio Avanzado de Nanoscopía Electrónica (LANE), Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del I.P.N, Av. Instituto Politécnico Nacional 2508 Col. San Pedro Zacatenco, 07360, México, D.F., Mexico

    D. Bahena

  4. Facultad de Ingeniería, Universidad Autónoma de Querétaro, Centro Universitario Cerro de las Campanas, 76010, Santiago de Querétaro, Qro., Mexico

    J. Ledesma

  5. Instituto de Ciencias Físicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Av. Universidad s/n, 62210, Cuernavaca, Mor., Mexico

    R. Pérez

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  1. A. Santoveña-Uribe
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Correspondence to R. Esparza.

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Santoveña-Uribe, A., Maya-Cornejo, J., Bahena, D. et al. Synthesis and Characterization of AgPd Bimetallic Nanoparticles as Efficient Electrocatalysts for Oxygen Reduction Reaction. Electrocatalysis 11, 536–545 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12678-020-00613-y

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