The Influence of Elastic Strain on Catalytic Activity in the Hydrogen Evolution Reaction

Abstract

Understanding the role of elastic strain in modifying catalytic reaction rates is crucial for catalyst design, but experimentally,t his effect is often coupled with al igand effect. To isolate the strain effect, we have investigated the influence of externally applied elastic strain on the catalytic activity of metal films in the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). We showthat elastic strain tunes the catalytic activity in acontrolled and predictable way. Both theory and experiment show strain controls reactivity in ac ontrolled manner consistent with the qualitative predictions of the HER volcano plot and the d-band theory:N ia nd Pts activities were accelerated by compression, while Cus activity was accelerated by tension. By isolating the elastic strain effect from the ligand effect, this study provides agreater insight into the role of elastic strain in controlling electrocatalytic activity.Supportinginformation and the ORCID identification number(s) for the author(s) of this article can be found under http://dx.

Pd 3 Sn nanoparticles on TiO 2 and ZnO supports as catalysts for semi-hydrogenation: Synthesis and catalytic performance

“…Recently, Yan et al [66,67] demonstrated that mechanical strain in catalysts such as Pt/Ni/Cu thin film on a Ti substrate and WC on a polymeric substrate significantly affects the catalytic activity. We considered the possibility of a similar effect in the catalysts studied in this work, however, such an effect is unlikely, as our catalysts are single-phase metal or alloy nanoparticles dispersed on micro sized particles of an oxide support rather than heterogeneous layers.…”

xNi–yCu–ZrO2 catalysts for the hydrogenation of levulinic acid to gamma valorlactone

“…The adsorption and dissociation of H 2 on transition metal surfaces has been related to the availability of d-electrons in the band structure of the metals through the d-band centre model [46,47]. It is possible to bring about shifts in the d-band centre through strain effects [48]. However, the close match between the atomic radii of Cu and Ni means that strain effects due to alloying are likely to be minimal and the position of the d-band centre will be largely determined by electronic effects in Cu/Ni alloys.…”

One‐Pot Synthesis of Tensile‐Strained PdRuCu Icosahedra toward Electrochemical Hydrogenation of Alkene

“…Previous studies have indicated that tensile strain could upshift the d-band center to intensify the species adsorption (e. g., C=C) to speed up ECH. [12,13] However, tensile strain synchronously enhances PdÀ H bonding which impedes the transfer of H ads and the following hydrogenation activity. Fortunately, alloying of heteroatoms (e. g., Ru, Cu) into Pd lattice can weaken PdÀ H bonding through so-called synergistic effect to promote hydrogenation.…”