Shaped Cu-Based Bimetallic Nanocatalysts with Confined Volume at Atomic Scale
Chun-Hong Kuo1,4*, Yu-Chun Chuang2, David A. Cullen3
1Institute of Chemistry, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
2National Synchrotron Radiation Research Center, Hsinchu, Taiwan
3Materials Science and Technology Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, USA
4Institute of Materials Science and Engineering, National Central University, Jhongli, Taiwan
* Presenter:Chun-Hong Kuo, email:chunhong@gate.sinica.edu.tw
Nanocatalysts with dual functions provides substantial benefits for creation of efficient energy-conversion systems. Among applicable materials, bimetallic nanocatalysts with integrated properties of plasmonics and catalysis receive great attention, as they possess the superiority of light-energy conversion to enhance chemical production or sensing. Accordingly, Au-, Ag-, and Cu-based bimetallic materials are more interesting candidates owing to their significant LSPR absorption in the range of visible light energy. In this talk, a series of synthetic concepts of Cu-based bimetallic nanocatalysts will be introduced, to demonstrate their optimized states in catalytic activities. In general, Cu nanocubes are synthesized as nanotemplates for further surface engineering in the depth of 2 nm. We deposited different noble metal atoms (Pt, Au, and Pd) onto the surfaces of Cu nanocubes with precisely controlled quantities that led to core-shell nanostructures in rhombic dodecahedral shape. Interestingly, significant shell evolution of these nanostructures took place after removing Cu interiors and formed octahedral nanocages which were cost efficient catalysts. Through deposition of metal atoms at the specific sites on the Cu surfaces, core-frame nanostructures formed and nanoframes with least volume could be obtained after Cu removal. The Cu-based nanocages and nanoframes were characterized and validated their thicknesses or volumes confined at atomic scale. Those “light” catalysts were used for electrocatalytic oxygen and nitrogen reduction reactions to examine their catalytic performances.


Keywords: bimetallic, cage, frame, energy, catalysis