Boosting oxygen reduction performances in Pd-based metallenes by co-confining interstitial H and p-block single atoms

Abstract The efficiency of the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) is limited by the scaling relationship in the conventional oxygen associative pathway. To break such limitations, we present an approach to effectively activate the oxygen dissociative pathway through co-confining single p-block (In, Sn,...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Yu Qiu, Mingzi Sun, Jiandong Wu, Chunxiao Chai, Shengwei Wang, Hong Huang, Xiao Zhao, Dongxu Jiao, Shan Xu, Dewen Wang, Xin Ge, Wei Zhang, Weitao Zheng, Yujiang Song, Jinchang Fan, Bolong Huang, Xiaoqiang Cui
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2025-06-01
Series:Nature Communications
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-60400-5
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1850137944455643136
author Yu Qiu
Mingzi Sun
Jiandong Wu
Chunxiao Chai
Shengwei Wang
Hong Huang
Xiao Zhao
Dongxu Jiao
Shan Xu
Dewen Wang
Xin Ge
Wei Zhang
Weitao Zheng
Yujiang Song
Jinchang Fan
Bolong Huang
Xiaoqiang Cui
author_facet Yu Qiu
Mingzi Sun
Jiandong Wu
Chunxiao Chai
Shengwei Wang
Hong Huang
Xiao Zhao
Dongxu Jiao
Shan Xu
Dewen Wang
Xin Ge
Wei Zhang
Weitao Zheng
Yujiang Song
Jinchang Fan
Bolong Huang
Xiaoqiang Cui
author_sort Yu Qiu
collection DOAJ
description Abstract The efficiency of the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) is limited by the scaling relationship in the conventional oxygen associative pathway. To break such limitations, we present an approach to effectively activate the oxygen dissociative pathway through co-confining single p-block (In, Sn, Pb) atoms and interstitial H atoms within Pd metallenes, leading to good ORR performance. PdPbHx metallenes exhibit a high mass activity of 1.36 A mg−1 at 0.95 V (vs. RHE), which is 46.9 times higher than that of the benchmark Pt/C. The minimal performance decay after 50,000 potential cycles confirms a good stability. In situ vibrational spectroscopy investigations and theoretical calculations highlight that interstitial H atoms facilitate the direct dissociation of O2 while single Pb atoms enhance O2 adsorption strength. The electroactive PdPbHx metallenes is attributed to the up-shifted Pd-4d orbitals induced by H and Pb atoms. This research supplies critical inspiration for developing highly efficient ORR electrocatalysts.
format Article
id doaj-art-e0ecb1ebd1014cfaa62dd41d8ab16b06
institution OA Journals
issn 2041-1723
language English
publishDate 2025-06-01
publisher Nature Portfolio
record_format Article
series Nature Communications
spelling doaj-art-e0ecb1ebd1014cfaa62dd41d8ab16b062025-08-20T02:30:42ZengNature PortfolioNature Communications2041-17232025-06-0116111310.1038/s41467-025-60400-5Boosting oxygen reduction performances in Pd-based metallenes by co-confining interstitial H and p-block single atomsYu Qiu0Mingzi Sun1Jiandong Wu2Chunxiao Chai3Shengwei Wang4Hong Huang5Xiao Zhao6Dongxu Jiao7Shan Xu8Dewen Wang9Xin Ge10Wei Zhang11Weitao Zheng12Yujiang Song13Jinchang Fan14Bolong Huang15Xiaoqiang Cui16School of Materials Science and Engineering, Key Laboratory of Automobile Materials of MOE, Electron Microscopy Center, Jilin UniversityDepartment of Chemistry, City University of Hong Kong, KowloonSchool of Materials Science and Engineering, Key Laboratory of Automobile Materials of MOE, Electron Microscopy Center, Jilin UniversityState Key Laboratory of Fine Chemicals, School of Chemical Engineering, Dalian University of TechnologySchool of Materials Science and Engineering, Key Laboratory of Automobile Materials of MOE, Electron Microscopy Center, Jilin UniversitySchool of Materials Science and Engineering, Key Laboratory of Automobile Materials of MOE, Electron Microscopy Center, Jilin UniversitySchool of Materials Science and Engineering, Key Laboratory of Automobile Materials of MOE, Electron Microscopy Center, Jilin UniversitySchool of Materials Science and Engineering, Key Laboratory of Automobile Materials of MOE, Electron Microscopy Center, Jilin UniversitySchool of Materials Science and Engineering, Key Laboratory of Automobile Materials of MOE, Electron Microscopy Center, Jilin UniversitySchool of Materials Science and Engineering, Key Laboratory of Automobile Materials of MOE, Electron Microscopy Center, Jilin UniversitySchool of Materials Science and Engineering, Key Laboratory of Automobile Materials of MOE, Electron Microscopy Center, Jilin UniversitySchool of Materials Science and Engineering, Key Laboratory of Automobile Materials of MOE, Electron Microscopy Center, Jilin UniversitySchool of Materials Science and Engineering, Key Laboratory of Automobile Materials of MOE, Electron Microscopy Center, Jilin UniversityState Key Laboratory of Fine Chemicals, School of Chemical Engineering, Dalian University of TechnologySchool of Materials Science and Engineering, Key Laboratory of Automobile Materials of MOE, Electron Microscopy Center, Jilin UniversityDepartment of Chemistry, City University of Hong Kong, KowloonSchool of Materials Science and Engineering, Key Laboratory of Automobile Materials of MOE, Electron Microscopy Center, Jilin UniversityAbstract The efficiency of the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) is limited by the scaling relationship in the conventional oxygen associative pathway. To break such limitations, we present an approach to effectively activate the oxygen dissociative pathway through co-confining single p-block (In, Sn, Pb) atoms and interstitial H atoms within Pd metallenes, leading to good ORR performance. PdPbHx metallenes exhibit a high mass activity of 1.36 A mg−1 at 0.95 V (vs. RHE), which is 46.9 times higher than that of the benchmark Pt/C. The minimal performance decay after 50,000 potential cycles confirms a good stability. In situ vibrational spectroscopy investigations and theoretical calculations highlight that interstitial H atoms facilitate the direct dissociation of O2 while single Pb atoms enhance O2 adsorption strength. The electroactive PdPbHx metallenes is attributed to the up-shifted Pd-4d orbitals induced by H and Pb atoms. This research supplies critical inspiration for developing highly efficient ORR electrocatalysts.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-60400-5
spellingShingle Yu Qiu
Mingzi Sun
Jiandong Wu
Chunxiao Chai
Shengwei Wang
Hong Huang
Xiao Zhao
Dongxu Jiao
Shan Xu
Dewen Wang
Xin Ge
Wei Zhang
Weitao Zheng
Yujiang Song
Jinchang Fan
Bolong Huang
Xiaoqiang Cui
Boosting oxygen reduction performances in Pd-based metallenes by co-confining interstitial H and p-block single atoms
Nature Communications
title Boosting oxygen reduction performances in Pd-based metallenes by co-confining interstitial H and p-block single atoms
title_full Boosting oxygen reduction performances in Pd-based metallenes by co-confining interstitial H and p-block single atoms
title_fullStr Boosting oxygen reduction performances in Pd-based metallenes by co-confining interstitial H and p-block single atoms
title_full_unstemmed Boosting oxygen reduction performances in Pd-based metallenes by co-confining interstitial H and p-block single atoms
title_short Boosting oxygen reduction performances in Pd-based metallenes by co-confining interstitial H and p-block single atoms
title_sort boosting oxygen reduction performances in pd based metallenes by co confining interstitial h and p block single atoms
url https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-60400-5
work_keys_str_mv AT yuqiu boostingoxygenreductionperformancesinpdbasedmetallenesbycoconfininginterstitialhandpblocksingleatoms
AT mingzisun boostingoxygenreductionperformancesinpdbasedmetallenesbycoconfininginterstitialhandpblocksingleatoms
AT jiandongwu boostingoxygenreductionperformancesinpdbasedmetallenesbycoconfininginterstitialhandpblocksingleatoms
AT chunxiaochai boostingoxygenreductionperformancesinpdbasedmetallenesbycoconfininginterstitialhandpblocksingleatoms
AT shengweiwang boostingoxygenreductionperformancesinpdbasedmetallenesbycoconfininginterstitialhandpblocksingleatoms
AT honghuang boostingoxygenreductionperformancesinpdbasedmetallenesbycoconfininginterstitialhandpblocksingleatoms
AT xiaozhao boostingoxygenreductionperformancesinpdbasedmetallenesbycoconfininginterstitialhandpblocksingleatoms
AT dongxujiao boostingoxygenreductionperformancesinpdbasedmetallenesbycoconfininginterstitialhandpblocksingleatoms
AT shanxu boostingoxygenreductionperformancesinpdbasedmetallenesbycoconfininginterstitialhandpblocksingleatoms
AT dewenwang boostingoxygenreductionperformancesinpdbasedmetallenesbycoconfininginterstitialhandpblocksingleatoms
AT xinge boostingoxygenreductionperformancesinpdbasedmetallenesbycoconfininginterstitialhandpblocksingleatoms
AT weizhang boostingoxygenreductionperformancesinpdbasedmetallenesbycoconfininginterstitialhandpblocksingleatoms
AT weitaozheng boostingoxygenreductionperformancesinpdbasedmetallenesbycoconfininginterstitialhandpblocksingleatoms
AT yujiangsong boostingoxygenreductionperformancesinpdbasedmetallenesbycoconfininginterstitialhandpblocksingleatoms
AT jinchangfan boostingoxygenreductionperformancesinpdbasedmetallenesbycoconfininginterstitialhandpblocksingleatoms
AT bolonghuang boostingoxygenreductionperformancesinpdbasedmetallenesbycoconfininginterstitialhandpblocksingleatoms
AT xiaoqiangcui boostingoxygenreductionperformancesinpdbasedmetallenesbycoconfininginterstitialhandpblocksingleatoms