Silver Clusters\nwith Adatoms as a Catalyst for the\nOxygen Reduction Reaction

Abstract

Developing highly active and low-cost catalysts for the\noxygen\nreduction reaction (ORR) is critical for renewable energy devices\nsuch as metal–air cells and fuel cells. In this work, we report\nan active ORR catalyst, Ag clusters with adatoms, which can be facilely\nproduced by a pulse electrolysis method. The silver adatom on the\nsilver cluster can reduce the coordination number, upshift the Ag\nd-band center, lower the ORR reaction barrier, and eventually transform\nthe inactive Ag into a highly active catalyst. As a result, the catalyst\nexhibits high activity and stability, which are superior to ever-reported\nsilver-based catalysts and even the commercial Pt/C catalyst.