The actinide(IV) hexanuclear [M6(μ3‐O)4(μ3‐OH)4(HCOO)12(LT)6] complexes were prepared (LT = H2O or CH3OH). Their structures were investigated by single‐crystal X‐ray analysis and XAFS spectroscopy. HCOO– acts as a bridging ligand, which prevents the formation of polynuclear hydrolysis species like UIV hydrous oxide colloids at least up to pH = 3.25, and stabilizes the nanosized clusters in solution. The charge of the hexamer is balanced by the O/OH ratio of the μ3‐bridges.(© Wiley‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2009)

The U(VI) complex with a pentadentate Schiff base ligand (N,N'-disalicylidenediethylenetriaminate = saldien(2-)) was prepared as a starting material of a potentially stable U(V) complex without any possibility of U(V)O(2)(+)...U(V)O(2)(+) cation-cation interaction and was found in three different crystal phases. Two of them had the same composition of U(VI)O(2)(saldien) x DMSO in orthorhombic and monoclinic systems (DMSO = dimethyl sulfoxide, 1a and 1c, respectively). The DMSO molecule in both 1a and 1c does not show any coordination to U(VI)O(2)(saldien), but it is just present as a solvent in the crystal structures. The other isolated crystals consisted only of U(VI)O(2)(saldien) without incorporation of solvent molecules (1b, orthorhombic). A different conformation of the coordinated saldien(2-) in 1c from those in 1a and 1b was observed. The conformers exchange each other in a solution through a flipping motion of the phenyl rings. The pentagonal equatorial coordination of U(VI)O(2)(saldien) remains unchanged even in strongly Lewis-basic solvents, DMSO and N,N-dimethylformamide. Cyclic voltammetry of U(VI)O(2)(saldien) in DMSO showed a quasireversible redox reaction without any successive reactions. The electron stoichiometry determined by the UV-vis-NIR spectroelectrochemical technique is close to 1, indicating that the reduction product of U(VI)O(2)(saldien) is [U(V)O(2)(saldien)](-), which is stable in DMSO. The standard redox potential of [U(V)O(2)(saldien)](-)/U(VI)O(2)(saldien) in DMSO is -1.584 V vs Fc/Fc(+). This U(V) complex shows the characteristic absorption bands due to f-f transitions in its 5f(1) configuration and charge-transfer from the axial oxygen to U(5+).

Simultaneous improvements in oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) activity and long-term durability of Ptbased cathode catalysts are indispensable for the development of next-generation polymer electrolyte fuel cells but are still a major dilemma. We present a robust octahedral core−shell PtNi x /C electrocatalyst with high ORR performance (mass activity and surface specific activity 6.8−16.9 and 20.3−24.0 times larger than those of Pt/C, respectively) and durability (negligible loss after 10000 accelerated durability test (ADT) cycles). The key factors of the robust octahedral nanostructure (core−shell Pt 73 Ni 27 /C) responsible for the remarkable activity and durability were found to be three continuous Pt skin layers with 2.0−3.6% compressive strain, concave facet arrangements (concave defects and high coordination), a symmetric Pt/Ni distribution, and a Pt 67 Ni 33 intermetallic core, as found by STEM-EDS, in situ XAFS, XPS, etc. The robust core−shell Pt 73 Ni 27 /C was produced by the partial release of the stress, Pt/Ni rearrangement, and dimension reduction of an as-synthesized octahedral Pt 50 Ni 50 /C with 3.6−6.7% compressive Pt skin layers by Ni leaching during the activation process. The present results on the tailored synthesis of the PtNi x structure and composition and the better control of the robust catalytic architecture renew the current knowledge and viewpoint for instability of octahedral PtNi x /C samples to provide a new insight into the development of next-generation PEFC cathode catalysts. KEYWORDS: robust octahedral core−shell PtNi x /C electrocatalyst, polymer electrolyte fuel cell, high performance and durability, continuous, compressive and concave Pt skin layers, structural and electronic property, in situ XAFS/STEM-EDS/XPS/ICP-AES

Complexation of Np(IV) with several carboxylates (RCOO(-); R = H, CH(3), or CHR'NH(2); R' = H, CH(3), or CH(2)SH) in moderately acidic aqueous solutions was studied by using UV-vis-NIR and X-ray absorption spectroscopy. As the pH increased, all investigated carboxylates initiated formation of water-soluble hexanuclear complexes, Np(6)(μ-RCOO)(12)(μ(3)-O)(4)(μ(3)-OH)(4), in which the neighboring Np atoms are connected by RCOO(-)syn-syn bridges and the triangular faces of the Np(6) octahedron are capped with μ(3)-O(2-)/μ(3)-OH(-). The structure information of Np(6)(μ-RCOO)(12)(μ(3)-O)(4)(μ(3)-OH)(4) in aqueous solution was extracted from the extended X-ray absorption fine structure data: Np-O(2-) = 2.22-2.23 Å (coordination number N = 1.9-2.2), Np-O(RCOO(-)) and Np-OH(-) = 2.42-2.43 Å (N = 5.6-6.7 in total), Np···C(RCOO(-)) = 3.43 Å (N = 3.3-3.9), Np···Np(neighbor) = 3.80-3.82 Å (N = 3.6-4.0), and Np···Np(terminal) = 5.39-5.41 Å (N = 1.0-1.2). For the simpler carboxylates, the gross stability constants of Np(6)(μ-RCOO)(12)(μ(3)-O)(4)(μ(3)-OH)(4) and related monomers, Np(RCOO)(OH)(2)(+), were determined from the UV-vis-NIR titration data: when R = H, log β(6,12,-12) = 42.7 ± 1.2 and log β(1,1,-2) = 2.51 ± 0.05 at I = 0.62 M and 295 K; when R = CH(3), log β(6,12,-12) = 52.0 ± 0.7 and log β(1,1,-2) = 3.86 ± 0.03 at I = 0.66 M and 295 K.

A hexanuclear Th(IV)-glycine complex was observed by Th L(3)-edge EXAFS measurements in an aqueous solution. Within the stability range of this complex the positively charged hexanuclear species [Th(6)(μ(3)-O)(4)(μ(3)-OH)(4)(H(2)O)(6)(Gly)(6)(HGly)(6)](6+) was preserved in a crystal with the composition [Th(6)(μ(3)-O)(4)(μ(3)-OH)(4)(H(2)O)(6)(Gly)(6)(HGly)(6)]·(NO(3))(3)(ClO(4))(3)(H(2)O)(3). This complex appears as a result of a competing reaction between hydrolysis and ligation by glycine. At a pH value below the stability range of the hexanuclear complex, crystals with the composition [Th(H(2)O)(3)(HGly)(3)]·(ClO(4))(4)H(2)O were obtained from the solution. Three water molecules in the thorium coordination sphere indicate that this complex occurs prior to the onset of Th(IV) hydrolysis.

We have achieved significant improvements for the oxygen reduction reaction activity and durability with new SnO2-nanoislands/Pt3Co/C catalysts in 0.1 M HClO4, which were regulated by a strategic fabrication using a new selective electrochemical Sn deposition method. The nano-SnO2/Pt3Co/C catalysts with Pt/Sn = 4/1, 9/1, 11/1, and 15/1 were characterized by STEM-EDS, XRD, XRF, XPS, in situ XAFS, and electrochemical measurements to have a Pt3Co core/Pt skeleton-skin structure decorated with SnO2 nanoislands at the compressive Pt surface with the defects and dislocations. The high performances of nano-SnO2/Pt3Co/C originate from efficient electronic modification of the Pt skin surface (site 1) by both the Co of the Pt3Co core and surface nano-SnO2 and more from the unique property of the periphery sites of the SnO2 nanoislands at the compressive Pt skeleton-skin surface (more active site 2), which were much more active than expected from the d-band center values. The white line peak intensity of the nano-SnO2/Pt3Co/C revealed no hysteresis in the potential up-down operations between 0.4 and 1.0 V versus RHE, unlike the cases of Pt/C and Pt3Co/C, resulting in the high ORR performance. Here we report development of a new class of cathode catalysts with two different active sites for next-generation polymer electrolyte fuel cells.

We have made the first success in the same-view imagings of 2D nano-XAFS and TEM/STEM-EDS under a humid N2 atmosphere for Pt/C cathode catalyst layers in membrane electrode assemblies (MEAs) of polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEFCs) with Nafion membrane to examine the degradation of Pt/C cathodes by anode gas exchange cycles (start-up/shut-down simulations of PEFC vehicles). The same-view imaging under the humid N2 atmosphere provided unprecedented spatial information on the distribution of Pt nanoparticles and oxidation states in the Pt/C cathode catalyst layer as well as Nafion ionomer-filled nanoholes of carbon support in the wet MEA, which evidence the origin of the formation of Pt oxidation species and isolated Pt nanoparticles in the nanohole areas of the cathode layer with different Pt/ionomer ratios, relevant to the degradation of PEFC catalysts.

Three types of bimetallic Pt–Pd nanoparticles with different core–shell structures besides Pt and Pd nanoparticles were synthesized by coreduction and sequential reduction methods in ethylene glycol. The synthesized nanoparticles were supported on carbon to prepare five different electrocatalysts Pt/C, Pd/C, PdPt alloy/C, Pd­(core)–Pt­(shell)/C, and Pt­(core)–Pd­(shell)/C for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in fuel cells. The nanoparticles and supported catalysts were characterized by means of transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS), and cyclic voltammetry (CV). It was proposed by these characterizations that the PdPt alloy/C, Pd­(core)–Pt­(shell)/C, and Pt­(core)–Pd­(shell)/C catalysts constituted Pd4Pt1(core)–Pt­(two-layers shell), Pd (core)–Pd2Pt1(three-layers)–Pt­(three-layers shell), and Pt­(core)–Pt2Pd1(two-layers)–Pd (microcrystal shell), respectively. The Pt surface-enriched catalysts were more stable than the Pd surface-enriched catalysts in long-term CV scanning in acid electrolyte. The Pt/C, PdPt alloy/C, and Pd­(core)–Pt­(shell)/C catalysts with Pt-enriched surfaces showed much higher ORR specific activity than the Pd/C and Pt­(core)–Pd­(shell)/C catalysts with Pd-enriched surfaces. The Pt surface-enriched bimetal catalysts with core–shell structures showed the higher Pt-based mass activity than the Pt monometal catalyst. The PdPt catalysts with Pd/Pt = 2 and 4 in an atomic ratio were also prepared by the coreduction method. The Pt-enriched surfaces formed also with these samples, but the ORR specific activity and (Pd + Pt)-based mass activity decreased with increasing Pd/Pt ratios (1, 2, and 4). The present study provided core–shell catalysts with better ORR activity, which may be useful for understanding key issues to develop next-generation fuel-cell cathode catalysts.