Bimetallic PdAu Nanoframes for Electrochemical H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub> Production in Acids
Xuan Zhao, Hao Yang, Jie Xu, Tao Cheng, Yanguang Li
Abstract
Electrochemical oxygen reduction reaction via the two-electron pathway to H2O2 represents a promising route to enable its on-site, on-demand production for direct consumer use. In particular, running this reaction in acids is practically relevant and scientifically challenging. Herein, we demonstrate that bimetallic PdAu nanoframes can be prepared via stepwise solution growth and etching under well-controlled conditions. The product exhibits a great performance for efficient H2O2 production in 0.1 M HClO4. A positive onset potential and high H2O2 yield of >90% are measured, which are considerably improved over pure Au and other Au-based alloys. Theoretical simulations indicate that the incorporation of dilute Pd atoms enhances the adsorption of *OOH as the key intermediate, and thereby promotes the reaction activity and selectivity. Our catalyst can also be used for the electro-Fenton reaction to catalyze the degradation of organic dyes in minutes.