Fabrication of Pd–Ni–P Metallic Glass Nanoparticles and Their Application as Highly Durable Catalysts in Methanol Electro-oxidation

Abstract

We report the chemical fabrication of metallic glass nanoparticles (MG-NPs). Using commercially available Pd, Ni, and P precursors, size-controlled amorphous Pd–Ni–P NPs were obtained by a one-pot solvothermal synthesis procedure. Differential scanning calorimetry identified typical MG properties of the unsupported Pd–Ni–P NPs with a wide supercooling region of 55 K (602–657 K). Notably, the supported MG-NPs showed remarkable catalytic properties in methanol electro-oxidation in an alkaline medium. After 400 cyclic voltammetry cycles, the loss of current density was only 3.5% when Pd–Ni–P NPs on Vulcan XC-72 were used as a catalyst. This catalytic durability is outstanding compared to those of many other Pd- or Pt-based nanocatalysts, including the recently reported precious Pt–Pd nanomaterials. These results indicate the potential use of Pd-based MG-NPs as fuel cell catalysts.