Herein,
we investigate the effect of the chemical composition of
double perovskite nanorods on their versatile electrocatalytic activity
not only as supports for the oxidation of small organic molecules
but also as catalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction. Specifically,
Y2CoMnO6 and Y2NiMnO6 nanorods
with average diameters of 300 nm were prepared by a two-step hydrothermal
method, in which the individual effects of synthetic parameters, such
as the pH, annealing temperature, and precursor ratios on both the
composition and morphology, were systematically investigated. When
used as supports for Pt nanoparticles, Y2CoMnO6/Pt catalysts exhibited an electrocatalytic activity for the methanol
oxidation reaction, which is 2.1 and 1.3 times higher than that measured
for commercial Pt/C and Y2NiMnO6/Pt, respectively.
Similarly, the Co-based catalyst support material displayed an ethanol
oxidation activity, which is 2.3 times higher than both Pt/C and Y2NiMnO6/Pt. This clear enhancement in the activity
for Y2CoMnO6 can largely be attributed to strong
metal–support interactions, as evidenced by a downshift in
the binding energy of the Pt 4f bands, measured by X-ray photoelectron
spectroscopy (XPS), which is often correlated not only with a downshift
in the d-band center but also to a decreased adsorption of poisoning
adsorbates. Moreover, when used as catalysts for the oxygen evolution
reaction, Y2CoMnO6 displayed a much greater
activity as compared with Y2NiMnO6. This behavior
can largely be attributed not only to a preponderance of comparatively
more favorable oxidation states and electronic configurations but
also to the formation of an active layer on the surface of the Y2CoMnO6 catalyst, which collectively gives rise
to improved performance metrics and greater stability as compared
with both IrO2 and Y2NiMnO6. Overall,
these results highlight the importance of both the chemical composition
and the electronic structure of double perovskites, especially when
utilized in multifunctional roles as either supports or catalysts.