Recently, Professor Ma Wei's research group at the Nobel Prize Scientist Joint Research Center of East China University of Science and Technology achieved the in-situ preparation and real-time measurement of the catalytic performance of single-atom alloy (SAAs) electrocatalysts at the single-particle level, providing a simple and effective method for screening low-cost, high-performance SAA electrocatalysts. The related research was published in "Nano Express".
Adjusting the atomic spacing of SAAs can effectively regulate their electrocatalytic activity. In previous studies, the relationship between the electrocatalytic performance of SAAs and atomic spacing required a series of steps including the preparation, characterization, and performance testing of SAAs electrocatalysts, which had the drawbacks of being cumbersome, time-consuming, and ensemble-averaged.
To address this issue, the research team proposed a combined single-particle electrochemical method that integrates synthesis and analysis, which can be used to in-situ prepare gold (Au)-silver (Ag) single-atom alloys with tunable atomic spacing and instantly measure their oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) electrocatalytic activity. This method achieved rapid screening of Au-Ag SAAs electrocatalysts with optimal catalytic activity at the single-particle level. Experimental results showed that when the spacing between adjacent Au atoms was 1.9 nanometers, Au-Ag SAAs exhibited the best ORR catalytic activity.
Identification of Atomic Spacing Effects in Au-Ag SAAs Electrocatalysts using Single-Particle Collision Electrochemical Method. Image source: Nano Express
Related paper information: https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.nanolett.3c04006
