Ultrafine oxygenophilic nanoalloys induced by multifunctional interstitial boron for methanol oxidation reaction

Interface construction is one of the most feasible approaches to optimize the physical and chemical properties of noble metal-based catalysts and consequently improve their catalytic performance. Herein, the design of effective reaction interfaces by bimetallic, trimetallic or polymetallic alloying has been extensively explored. In this research, metalloid boron (B) was alloyed within palladium-iridium (Pd-Ir) nanoalloy supported on nitrogen-doped graphene (NG) to promote the methanol oxidation reaction (MOR) in alkaline media. Being benefited from this, the optimum Pd7IrBx/NG catalyst exhibited enhanced EOR activity mass activity (1141.7 mA mg−1) and long-term stability (58.2 % current density retention rate after 500 cycles of cyclic voltammetry). The mechanism was further studied by electrochemical experiments and characterization, which highlighted that the multifunctional effect of electronic effect and strain effect and kinetic optimization induced by boron doping played a very positive role on MOR.