New insights into the effects of alloying Pt with Ni on oxygen reduction reaction mechanisms in acid medium: a first-principles study

The effects of alloying Pt with transition metal Ni on oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) mechanisms was investigated based on a systematic density functional theory (DFT) calculation explored in the present work. New insights into the ORR mechanisms were reported at the atomic level on Pt-segregated Pt3Ni(111). Only one molecular chemisorption state with the end-on OOH configuration was identified through geometry optimization and minimum energy path (MEP) analysis; top-bridge-top configuration as observed on pure Pt(111) was not identified on Pt-segregated Pt3Ni(111), indicating that alloying Pt with Ni influences the intermediates of ORR, and leads to only the dissociation mechanism of chemisorption state OOH species being involved in acid medium on Pt-segregated Pt3Ni(111). By contrast, the dissociation mechanisms of chemisorbed O2 molecule with top-bridge-top configuration and OOH species both were involved on pure Pt(111). The rds of the entire four-electron ORR was changed after Pt alloying with Ni. The rds of the entire ORR is the proton and electron transfer to O2 to form OOH on Pt-segregated Pt3Ni(111), whereas it is the reaction of O atom protonation to form OH species on pure Pt(111), indicating that sublayer Ni strongly influences the rds of ORR. The comparison of the ORR mechanisms explained that Pt3Ni alloy enhanced the ORR electrocatalytic activity more than pure Pt. The effect of electrode potential on ORR pathway on the pure Pt and Pt3Ni alloy was considered to obtain further insights into the electrochemical reduction of O2. Results showed that the proton and electron transfer becomes difficult at high potential. The ORR can easily proceed when the electrode potential lowers. For pure Pt- and Pt-based alloys, this phenomenon may imply the origin of the overpotential.