“X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and reactivity measurements of Ru/Pt nanoparticles supported on a gold disk

A. LEWERA, W. P. ZHOU, C. VERICAT, J. H. CHUNG, R. HAASCH, A. WIECKOWSKI, P. S. BAGUS

ELECTROCHIMICA ACTA

Año: 2006 vol. 51 p. 3950 - 3956

0013-4686

We report a new method of immobilization of catalytic metal/alloy nanoparticles on a gold disk for transfer from an electrochemical cell to UHV (without sample exposure to air) for XPS analyses. Using this immobilization approach, several samples were examined: a core-shell Pt-on-Ru catalyst prepared from Ru black onto which Pt was spontaneously deposited, commercial Pt/Ru 50:50 nanoparticle alloy, as well as single metal Ru and Pt nanoparticle samples. The catalysts were characterized for the Ru oxidation state and for the methanol electrooxidation activity (as Pt was always metallic). For all bimetallic samples, we found that the reduced nanoparticles were more active towards methanol oxidation than the fully or partially oxidized samples. Regardless the Ru oxidation state however, the activity was lower than that previously reported for Ru decorated Pt nanoparticle catalysts (Ru-on-Pt). Possible reasons for the reactivity differences are discussed.