Ti(3+)-Promoted High Oxygen-Reduction Activity of Pd Nanodots Supported by Black Titania Nanobelts.

One-dimensional nanocrystals favoring efficient charge transfer have attracted enormous attentions, and conductive nanobelts of black titania with a unique band structure and high electrical conductivity would be interestingly used in electrocatalysis. Here, Pd nanodots supported by two kinds of black titania, the oxygen-deficient titania (TiO2-x) and nitrogen-doped titania (TiO2-x:N), were synthesized as efficient composite catalysts for oxygen-reduction reaction (ORR). These composite catalysts show improved catalytic activity with lower overpotential and higher limited current, compared to the Pd nanodots supported on the white titania (Pd/TiO2). The improved activity is attributed to the relatively high conductivity of black titania nanobelts for efficient charge transfer (CT) between Ti(3+) species and Pd nanodots. The CT process enhances the strong metal-support interaction (SMSI) between Pd and TiO2, which lowers the absorption energy of O2 on Pd and makes it more suitable for oxygen reduction. Because of the stronger interaction between Pd and support, the Pd/TiO2-x:N also shows excellent durability and immunity to methanol poisoning.