A platinum-nickel bimetallic nanocluster ensemble-on-polyaniline nanofilm for enhanced electrocatalytic oxidation of dopamine

Anupam Yadav*, Richa Pandey, Ting Wei Liao, Vyacheslav S. Zharinov, Kuo Juei Hu, Jerome Vernieres, Richard E. Palmer, Peter Lievens, Didier Grandjean, Yosi Shacham-Diamand

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

9 Scopus citations

Abstract

We report a new approach to design flexible functional material platforms based on electropolymerized polyaniline (PANI) polymer nanofilms modified with bimetallic nanoclusters (NCs) for efficient electro-oxidation of small organic molecules. Composition defined ligand free Pt0.75Ni0.25 NCs were synthesized in the gas phase using the Cluster Beam Deposition (CBD) technology and characterized using RToF, HAADF-STEM, XAFS and XPS. NCs were then directly deposited on PANI coated templates to construct electrodes. Dopamine (DP) molecules were used as a representative organic analyte and the influence of the NC-PANI hybrid atomistic structure on the electrochemical and electrocatalytic performance was investigated. The as prepared, nearly monodispersed, Pt0.75Ni0.25 NCs of ca. 2 nm diameter featuring a PtOx surface combined with a shallow platelet-like Ni-O(OH) phase formed a densely packed active surface on PANI at ultralow metal coverages. Electrochemical measurements (EIS and CV) show a 2.5 times decrease in charge transfer resistance and a remarkable 6-fold increase at lower potential in the mass activity for Pt0.75Ni0.25 NCs in comparison with their pure Pt counterparts. The enhanced electrochemical performance of the Pt0.75Ni0.25 NC hybrid's interface is ascribed to the formation of mixed Pt metal and Ni-O(OH) phases at the surface of the alloyed PtNi cores of the bimetallic NCs under electrochemical conditions combined with an efficient charge conduction pathway between NCs.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)6047-6056
Number of pages10
JournalNanoscale
Volume12
Issue number10
DOIs
StatePublished - 14 Mar 2020

Funding

FundersFunder number
Flemish Hercules StichtingAKUL/13/19
Research Foundation – Flanders
Seventh Framework ProgrammeFP7/ 2007–2013, 607417
Llywodraeth Cymru80708
Engineering and Physical Sciences Research CouncilEP/M028267/1
Fonds Wetenschappelijk OnderzoekG.0B39.15
Israel Science Foundation1616/17
Onderzoeksraad, KU LeuvenCELSA/18/032
European Regional Development Fund

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