ICREA Prof. María Escudero has participated in international research that could contribute to the advancement of the use of these materials for renewable energy conversion. It also remarks the importance of understanding the structure-property relationships of these materials to address current environmental and scientific challenges.
A new collaborative study in which ICREA Prof. Maria Escudero Escribano (leader of the Nanoelectrocatalysis and Sustainable Chemistry Group) participated, has been published in the journal EES Catalysis. This research combined electrochemical methods, surface-sensitive characterisation techniques and theoretical calculations to evaluate the carbon monoxide (CO) oxidation performance and the structure-property relations of a HEA electrocatalyst composed of silver, gold, copper, palladium and platinum (AgAuCuPdPt). This type of catalyst could be key for the development of more sustainable energy solutions in the future. This research also included the participation of scientists from international institutions, such as the University of Copenhagen, the Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, and the Technical University of Denmark.
The importance of HEAs
High entropy alloys (HEAs) have been a significant advancement in the field of catalysis in recent years. These are alloys of different components with an approximate equiatomic composition, which means that they have the same approximate number of atoms of each element. HEAs possess significant potential as catalysts, for instance, in the performance of electrochemical reactions involving the electrocatalytic conversion of small molecules such as carbon monoxide. This is a key reaction in sustainable energy conversion technologies such as low-temperature fuel cells.
In this study, the activity of the AgAuCuPdPt HEA electrocatalyst was compared to monometallic, bimetallic and other multimetallic surfaces. It was shown that the presence of silver (Ag) can enhance the oxidation of CO and that gold (Au) segregates on the surface.
In summary, HEA electrocatalysts are very promising for designing more active and selective electrocatalyst surfaces for renewable energy conversion. Advances in the research of such materials may prove crucial in developing effective solutions to environmental, energy, and sustainability challenges we currently face.
Reference article
Salinas-Quezada, MP; Pedersen, JK; Sebastián-Pascual, P; Chorkendorff, I; Biswas, K; Rossmeisl J; and Escudero-Escribano, M. (2024). Toward understanding CO oxidation on high-entropy alloy electrocatalysts. EES Catalysis. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1039/d4ey00023d.