Atomically dispersed Pt-N4 sites as efficient and selective electrocatalysts for the chlorine evolution reaction.
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ABSTRACT: Chlorine evolution reaction (CER) is a critical anode reaction in chlor-alkali electrolysis. Although precious metal-based mixed metal oxides (MMOs) have been widely used as CER catalysts, they suffer from the concomitant generation of oxygen during the CER. Herein, we demonstrate that atomically dispersed Pt-N4 sites doped on a carbon nanotube (Pt1/CNT) can catalyse the CER with excellent activity and selectivity. The Pt1/CNT catalyst shows superior CER activity to a Pt nanoparticle-based catalyst and a commercial Ru/Ir-based MMO catalyst. Notably, Pt1/CNT exhibits near 100% CER selectivity even in acidic media, with low Cl- concentrations (0.1?M), as well as in neutral media, whereas the MMO catalyst shows substantially lower CER selectivity. In situ electrochemical X-ray absorption spectroscopy reveals the direct adsorption of Cl- on Pt-N4 sites during the CER. Density functional theory calculations suggest the PtN4C12 site as the most plausible active site structure for the CER.
SUBMITTER: Lim T
PROVIDER: S-EPMC6972710 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Jan
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
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