Solvation Effect‐Determined Mechanisms of Cation Exchange Reactions for Efficient Multicomponent Nanocatalysts

Abstract

Cation exchange (CE) reaction is a classical synthesis method for creating complex structures. A lock of study on intrinsic mechanism limits its understanding and practical application. Using X‐ray absorption spectroscopy, we observed that the evolution from Ru−Cl to Ru−O/OH occurs during the CE between K2RuCl6 and CoSn(OH)6 in aqueous solution, while CE between K2PtCl6 and CoSn(OH)6 is inhibited due to the failure of structural evolution from Pt−Cl to Pt−O/OH. Theoretical simulations imply that the interaction between Ru−O and CoSn(OH)6 with Co vacancy (CoVCoSn(OH)6) endows the electron transfer, as a result of strengthened adsorption on CoVCoSn(OH)6. Moreover, this mechanism is validated for CE between K2RuCl6 and ASn(OH)6 (A = Mg, Ca, Mn, Co, Cu, Zn), and CE between K2PdCl6/Na3RhCl6/K2IrCl6 and CoSn(OH)6. Impressively, the Pt‐free CoRuSn(OH)x produced via CE displays a mass activity and a power density of 15.0 A mgRu−1 and 11.6 W mgRu−1, respectively, for anion exchange membrane fuel cell (AEMFC) exceeding the values of commercial PtRu/C (11.8 A mgRu+Pt−1 and 9.0 W mgRu+Pt−1). This work, for the first time, reveals the intrinsic mechanism of CE as structural evolution of target ion breaking through the traditional classic etch‐adsorption mechanism and will promote fundamental research and practical application in various fields.