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XPS and STEM study of the interface formation between ultra-thin Ru and Ir OER catalyst layers and perylene red support whiskers

Atanasoska Ljiljana L. (M Co., M Center, St. Paul, USA)
Cullen David A. (Materials Science and Technology Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, USA)
Atanasoski Radoslav T. (M Co., M Center, St. Paul, USA)

The interface formation between nano-structured perylene red (PR) whiskers and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) catalysts ruthenium and iridium has been studied systematically by XPS and STEM. The OER catalyst over-layers with thicknesses ranging from ~0.1 to ~50 nm were vapor deposited onto PR ex-situ. STEM images demonstrate that, with increasing thickness, Ru and Ir transform from amorphous clusters to crystalline nanoparticles, which agglomerate with increased over-layer thickness. XPS data show a strong interaction between Ru and PR. Ir also interacts with PR although not to the extent seen for Ru. At low coverages, the entire Ru deposit is in the reacted state while a small portion of the deposited Ir remains metallic. Ru and Ir bonding occur at the PR carbonyl sites as evidenced by the attenuation of carbonyl photoemission and the emergence of new peak assigned to C-O single bond. The curve fitting analysis and the derived stoichiometry indicates the formation of metallo-organic bonds. The co-existence of oxide bonds is also apparent.

Keywords: fuel cell, catalyst, surface properties, deposition