Synergistic effects of p-d orbital hybridization and CeO₂ surface engineering on PtBi nanoplates for methanol electro-oxidation

Modulating the electronic structure of Pt is an effective strategy for enhancing the activity and durability of Pt-based electrocatalysts. Herein, we reported a type of intermetallic CeO₂/PtBi nanoplates (NPs), which possessed enhanced activity and durability for methanol electro-oxidation reaction (MOR) through strong p-d hybridization between the Pt and Bi. The surface-deposited CeO₂ can further optimize the electronic structure of Pt, while providing more hydroxyl adsorption sites. Specifically, the CeO₂/PtBi NPs exhibited excellent mass activity for MOR in both acidic and alkaline environments, which were 1.62 and 7.65 times higher than those of commercial Pt/C, respectively. After 1000 durability tests in acidic and alkaline environments, the activities of CeO₂/PtBi NPs only decreased by 20.1% and 39.8%, respectively, while the activities of commercial Pt/C decreased by 55.4% and 78.5%, respectively. The excellent activity and durability can be attributed to the modulation of the electronic structure through p-d orbital hybridization between Pt, Bi and the surface-deposited CeO₂. This study provides new insights into the electronic structure regulation of Pt-based electrocatalysts.