Sustaining Methanol‐Oxidation and Hydrogen Evolution at Low Voltage by Applying Periodic Polarity Reversal on a Symmetric Pt‐Based Electrode Pair

ABSTRACT It has been established that Pt‐based electrocatalysts can enable the methanol oxidation reaction (MOR) to produce value‐added formate at ultralow potentials. However, their sustainability is severely limited due to acute CO poisoning, particularly at high current densities. To address this challenge, we develop Pt@NiM‐LDH electrocatalysts (M = Co, Mn, Cu, Fe) by anchoring Pt sites onto NiM layered double hydroxide (LDH) support via Pt─O─Ni bonding, which mitigates CO poisoning. Critically, it is found that applying periodic current polarity reversal to a symmetric Pt@NiCo‐LDH‖Pt@NiCo‐LDH electrode pair drastically attenuates CO‐poisoning. This system thereby enables concurrent productions of hydrogen and formate for at least 120 h at an industrial‐level current density (300 mA cm −2 ) and a low cell voltage of 1.02 V, yielding a combined Faradaic efficiency of nearly 200%. Comprehensive experimental and theoretical studies reveal that the NiCo‐LDH support electronically modulates the Pt sites, suppressing both CO formation and adsorption. Furthermore, it is verified that the polarity reversal strategy weakens CO adsorption strength by inducing structural reconstruction of the electrical double layer (EDL). These synergistic mechanisms significantly enhance the sustainability of Pt‐based electrodes for coupled MOR‖HER electrolysis. This work thus provides a promising strategy for designing highly efficient and CO‐tolerant Pt‐based electrocatalytic systems.

Authors

Institutions

Publication Details

Journal
Angewandte Chemie
Published
2026-02-04
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1002/ange.202525802
Primary Topic
Electrocatalysts for Energy Conversion
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00
Controls
|||
ALL TIME
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
article

Sustaining Methanol‐Oxidation and Hydrogen Evolution at Low Voltage by Applying Periodic Polarity Reversal on a Symmetric Pt‐Based Electrode Pair

Lai Feng, Botao Zhu, Jie Li, Jie Xiong et al.
Angewandte Chemie
Electrocatalysts for Energy Conversion
article

Sustaining Methanol‐Oxidation and Hydrogen Evolution at Low Voltage by Applying Periodic Polarity Reversal on a Symmetric Pt‐Based Electrode Pair

Lai Feng, Botao Zhu, Jie Li, Jie Xiong, Bin Sun, Hui Lin, Zhenduo Wu, Shuo Wu, Yiding Zhang
article en

Abstract

ABSTRACT It has been established that Pt‐based electrocatalysts can enable the methanol oxidation reaction (MOR) to produce value‐added formate at ultralow potentials. However, their sustainability is severely limited due to acute CO poisoning, particularly at high current densities. To address this challenge, we develop Pt@NiM‐LDH electrocatalysts (M = Co, Mn, Cu, Fe) by anchoring Pt sites onto NiM layered double hydroxide (LDH) support via Pt─O─Ni bonding, which mitigates CO poisoning. Critically, it is found that applying periodic current polarity reversal to a symmetric Pt@NiCo‐LDH‖Pt@NiCo‐LDH electrode pair drastically attenuates CO‐poisoning. This system thereby enables concurrent productions of hydrogen and formate for at least 120 h at an industrial‐level current density (300 mA cm −2 ) and a low cell voltage of 1.02 V, yielding a combined Faradaic efficiency of nearly 200%. Comprehensive experimental and theoretical studies reveal that the NiCo‐LDH support electronically modulates the Pt sites, suppressing both CO formation and adsorption. Furthermore, it is verified that the polarity reversal strategy weakens CO adsorption strength by inducing structural reconstruction of the electrical double layer (EDL). These synergistic mechanisms significantly enhance the sustainability of Pt‐based electrodes for coupled MOR‖HER electrolysis. This work thus provides a promising strategy for designing highly efficient and CO‐tolerant Pt‐based electrocatalytic systems.

Angewandte ChemieVol. 138(11)
City University of Hong Kong (HK), Dongguan University of Technology (CN), Soochow University (CN), City College of Dongguan University of Technology (CN)
Responsible consumption and production
Openalex Percentile: Top 67%
Electrocatalysts for Energy Conversion
AI Navigator

Ask Laika to Summarize, Analyze, and Connect papers live on the map.

Summarize Papers & Methodologies

Extract key findings, datasets, and comparative methods across publications.

Benchmark Rankings & Visual Analytics

Rank top research institutions, authors, funders, topics, and journals by Field-Weighted Citation Impact (FWCI) and paper volume with instant charts.

Connect Distant Disciplines

Bridge topological clusters on the map to find hidden collaborative intersections.