Nanosizing Intermetallic Compounds Onto Carbon Nanotubes: Active and Selective Hydrogenation Catalysts

摘要

Recently, much attention has been focused on nanocrystalline intermetallic compounds. For instance, current studies of formic acid fuel cells require intermetallic compounds at nanoscale dimensions as anode materials. Ideas of using nanoscale intermetallics are based on their modified electronic and structural properties compared with their bulk metallic counterpart. In the case of fuel cells, conventional catalysts, such as platinum, are readily self-poisoned by the CO that is produced as a side-product. As for activity, supported intermetallic nanoparticles are necessary to achieve high mass activity and complete resistance to CO poisoning. In the case of Pd-based intermetallics, the unsupported Pd_x-Ga_y series has been investigated and applied in alkyne-selective hydrogenation.