Atomically and Electronically Coupled Pt and CoO Hybrid Nanocatalysts for Enhanced Electrocatalytic Performance

Researchers report atomic and electronic coupling of Pt NPs with pyramidal nanofacets enclosed single-crystal (SC) CoO nanorods (NRs) to produce hybrid nanocatalysts directly on a conductive carbon fiber paper (CFP) substrate. Based on experimental observations and theoretical calculations, the researchers demonstrate that strong atomic and electronic interactions between Pt NPs and SC CoO NRs directly lead to atomically perfect interface and desired Pt faceting, which maximizes the surface area of intrinsically active {111} nanofacets, favorable down-shifting d-band center of Pt, which can achieve optimal energetics for intermediates in electrocatalytic reactions, and superior long-term durability without the aforementioned detaching problem referring to particulate or powdery catalysts.