We have investigated the release of active sites blocked by bubbles attached on the surface of catalysts during the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in alkaline water electrolysis, via the modulation of the wetting properties of the four different morphologies of a nickel catalyst.

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Core@shell electrocatalysts for fuel cells have the advantages of a high utilization of Pt and the modification of its electronic structures toward enhancement of the activities. In this study, we suggest both a theoretical background for the design of highly active and stable core@shell/C and a novel facile synthetic strategy for their preparation. Using density functional theory calculations guided by the oxygen adsorption energy and vacancy formation energy, Pd3Cu1@Pt/C was selected as the most suitable candidate for the oxygen reduction reaction in terms of its activity and stability. These predictions were experimentally verified by the surfactant-free synthesis of Pd3Cu1/C cores and the selective Pt shell formation using a Hantzsch ester as a reducing agent. In a similar fashion, Pd@Pd4Ir6/C catalyst was also designed and synthesized for the hydrogen oxidation reaction. The developed catalysts exhibited high activity, high selectivity, and 4,000 h of long-term durability at the single-cell level.