Cations found to be the culprit behind degraded platinum electrodes
en-GBde-DEes-ESfr-FR

Cations found to be the culprit behind degraded platinum electrodes


Osaka, Japan &ndash; Electrochemical devices like batteries and fuel cells help power our modern lives. These devices traditionally contain a liquid electrolyte sandwiched between solid electrodes, and can generate electricity through chemical reactions, or alternatively, can undergo chemical reactions when subjected to an electrical current.<br /> A rechargeable battery is a classic example of an electrochemical device that has both these functions. It is important to understand how electrochemical devices degrade during use if we want to increase their durability. However, the decay of the solid metal electrodes in electrochemical devices is poorly understood.<br /> <br /> Now, a collaboration between Japanese, Korean, and American researchers is addressing this knowledge gap by investigating the degradation behavior of electrodes made of platinum &ndash; a stable noble metal like gold and silver &ndash; in different electrolyte solutions.<br /> <br /> The researchers measured the degradation of platinum electrodes in electrolytes containing different cations, which are atoms with positive charges, from the same group of the periodic table (lithium, sodium, potassium, and cesium). Their results revealed that the cation identity affected platinum degradation: larger cations suppressed platinum dissolution compared with that in systems with smaller cations.<br /> <br /> &ldquo;We monitored platinum dissolution in real time,&rdquo; says lead author Haesol Kim. &ldquo;Our results revealed that platinum leaching decreased as the atomic number (and size) of the cation increased. That is, electrode degradation is influenced by a cation effect.&rdquo;<br /> Intrigued by this effect, the researchers conducted further experiments and computer simulations to identify the origin of this behavior.<br /> <br /> &ldquo;Our computational simulations indicated that the hydroxide ions near the platinum electrode strongly affected platinum leaching,&rdquo; explains senior author Chang Hyuck Choi. &ldquo;Hydroxide ions promoted the diffusion of platinum ions into the bulk electrolyte by weakening the force for platinum redeposition on the electrode surface.&rdquo;<br /> The negatively charged hydroxide ions acted as a shield around the positively charged platinum ions, helping them to move away from the electrode surface. But how did this relate to the cation effect?<br /> <br /> The cations in the electrolyte influenced the concentration of hydroxide ions near the platinum electrode surface. Cations with higher acidity provided a higher hydroxide ion concentration near the platinum surface than cations with lower acidity. In the investigated cation series, the smaller cations had higher acidity than the larger cations. As a result, platinum electrode degradation was accelerated in the presence of smaller cations.<br /> <br /> The finding that electrode stability is directly affected by the type of cations in the electrolyte is an exciting finding and will give researchers an area to focus on in their quest to create the durable electrochemical devices needed to power the future.<br /> <br /> ###<br /> The article &ldquo;Cation Effect on the Electrochemical Platinum Dissolution&rdquo; was published in the <em>Journal of the American Chemical Society</em> at <a href="https://doi.org/10.1021/jacs.4c17833" style="color:#0563c1; text-decoration:underline">https://doi.org/10.1021/jacs.4c17833</a>


About Osaka University
Osaka University was founded in 1931 as one of the seven imperial universities of Japan and is now one of Japan's leading comprehensive universities with a broad disciplinary spectrum. This strength is coupled with a singular drive for innovation that extends throughout the scientific process, from fundamental research to the creation of applied technology with positive economic impacts. Its commitment to innovation has been recognized in Japan and around the world. Now, Osaka University is leveraging its role as a Designated National University Corporation selected by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology to contribute to innovation for human welfare, sustainable development of society, and social transformation.


 
Title: "Cation Effect on the Electrochemical Platinum Dissolution"
Journal: J. Am. Chem. Soc. 147, 5, 4667–4674 (2025).
Authors: Haesol Kim, Minho M. Kim, Junsic Cho, Seunghoon Lee, Dong Hyun Kim, Seung-Jae Shin, Tomohiko Utsunomiya, William A. Goddard III, Yu Katayama, Hyungjun Kim, Chang Hyuck Choi
DOI: https://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/jacs.4c17833
Funded by: Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS), NEDO
Attached files
  • Proposed mechanism of Pt dissolution reaction considering the effect of the electrolyte components. In the case of the left figure (Li ions), the diffusion of Pt ions to the offshore (right side in this figure) is favored. In contrast, in the case of the right figure (Cs ions), the diffusion of Pt ions to the offshore is suppressed and Pt ion re-deposition is more likely to occur, resulting in suppressed Pt dissolution. Thus, by designing the alkali metal cation species in the electrolyte, the dissolved ions can be kept near the electrode, which promotes their re-deposition and suppresses their dissolution without changing the electrode material.
Regions: Asia, Japan
Keywords: Science, Chemistry

Disclaimer: AlphaGalileo is not responsible for the accuracy of content posted to AlphaGalileo by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the AlphaGalileo system.

Testimonials

For well over a decade, in my capacity as a researcher, broadcaster, and producer, I have relied heavily on Alphagalileo.
All of my work trips have been planned around stories that I've found on this site.
The under embargo section allows us to plan ahead and the news releases enable us to find key experts.
Going through the tailored daily updates is the best way to start the day. It's such a critical service for me and many of my colleagues.
Koula Bouloukos, Senior manager, Editorial & Production Underknown
We have used AlphaGalileo since its foundation but frankly we need it more than ever now to ensure our research news is heard across Europe, Asia and North America. As one of the UK’s leading research universities we want to continue to work with other outstanding researchers in Europe. AlphaGalileo helps us to continue to bring our research story to them and the rest of the world.
Peter Dunn, Director of Press and Media Relations at the University of Warwick
AlphaGalileo has helped us more than double our reach at SciDev.Net. The service has enabled our journalists around the world to reach the mainstream media with articles about the impact of science on people in low- and middle-income countries, leading to big increases in the number of SciDev.Net articles that have been republished.
Ben Deighton, SciDevNet

We Work Closely With...


  • BBC
  • The Times
  • National Geographic
  • University of Cambridge
  • iesResearch
Copyright 2025 by AlphaGalileo Terms Of Use Privacy Statement