Synthesis of intermetallic FePtPd nanoparticles and their enhanced catalysis for electro-oxidation of methanol

Searching for efficient and CO-tolerant catalysts for electro-oxidation of methanol is desirable for the development of direct-methanol fuel cells. Here, we present a novel and facile procedure for the synthesis of intermetallic face-centered tetragonal (fct)-Fe50PtxPd50-x Nanoparticles (NPs) with Fe and Pt/Pd atoms forming alternative layers, which are highly active and stable in catalyzing methanol oxidation reaction (MOR) in 0.1 M HClO4 and 0.2 M methanol aqueous solution. The carbon-supported fct-Fe48Pt35Pd17 NPs show the highest peak current density of 626 A g(Pt)(1) at 909 mV (vs RHE) over fcc-Fe48Pt35Pd17 (428 Ag-Pt(-1) at 930 mV) and the commercial Pt (218 Ag-Pt(-1) at 952 mV). The superior performance observed on the fct-Fe48Pt35Pd17 NPs is attributed to the stabilization of Pd by the intermetallic fct-structure, which improves the Pt CO-tolerance and catalytic activity. The activity of fct-FePtPd depends further on the Pt/Pd ratios. An increase in Pd content improves CO tolerance but reduces the number of active Pt sites on NPs surface, and the optimized Pt/Pd ratio should be around 1.0. Our work demonstrates a new approach to the rational design and synthesis of highly active NP catalysts for MOR.