Multi-rare-earth alloy nanoparticles from binary to septenary for electrocatalytic semi-hydrogenation of acetylene

The controllable synthesis of palladium-based multi-rare-earth alloy nanomaterials via chemical methods poses a considerable challenge, owing to the low reduction potential and high oxophilicity of rare earth (RE) elements. Herein, a series of Pd-RE alloy nanoparticles, from binary to septenary alloy, is newly designed and synthesized through the single atom-enhanced chemical potential method. This synthetic strategy utilizes a single atom to effectively enhance the chemical potential of a rare earth atom, which thermodynamically favors the synthesis of a Pd-RE alloy. Using this general chemical synthesis method, we successfully synthesized 22 kinds of Pd-RE alloy nanoparticles, including 4 kinds of Pd-RE high-entropy alloy nanoparticles. The ErPd 3 catalyst demonstrated outstanding electrocatalytic performance in acetylene hydrogenation: electron-enriched Pd sites facilitated acetylene adsorption and activation, while the incorporated Er effectively suppressed the competing hydrogen evolution reaction, thereby significantly enhancing the utilization efficiency of H*. This work establishes a general strategy for designing Pd-RE alloy nanomaterials. • 22 kinds of Pd-based multi-rare-earth alloy nanoparticles, including 4 kinds of Pd-based high-entropy rare earth alloy nanoparticles, were synthesized and analyzed. • The existence of rare earth atoms in the form of single atoms can effectively enhance their chemical potential, which is thermodynamically favorable for the formation of rare earth alloys. • The hydrogen evolution reaction is significantly suppressed, and the Faradaic efficiency of hydrogen for ErPd 3 nanoparticles is only one-third that of Pd/C.