Magnetic Tuning of the Electrochemical Reactivity through Controlled Surface Orientation of Catalytic Nanowires

• Published in: Journal of the American Chemical Society Vol. 128; no. 14; pp. 4562 - 4563
• Main Authors: Wang, Joseph, Scampicchio, Matteo, Laocharoensuk, Rawiwan, Valentini, Federica, González-García, Olga, Burdick, Jared
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC American Chemical Society 12-04-2006
• Subjects: Cross-disciplinary physics: materials science; rheology; Exact sciences and technology; Materials science; Nanoscale materials and structures: fabrication and characterization; Nanotubes; Physics; Electrocatalysis; Transition elements; Magnetic field effects; Nickel; Wire; Chemical reactivity; Catalyst activity; Nanostructured materials
• ISSN: 0002-7863; 1520-5126
• DOI: 10.1021/ja061070u

Nanowires have received considerable attention owing to their broad potential applications. We report here on the application of nanowires for magnetic control of the electrochemical reactivity and demonstrate how one can modulate the electrocatalytic activity by orienting catalytic nanowires at different angles. Unlike early “on/off” magnetic switching studies based on functionalized magnetic spheres, the present magnetoswitchable protocol relies on modulating the electrochemical reactivity without removing the magnetic material from the surface. Such behavior is attributed to the reversible blocking of the redox processes and to changes in the tortuosity-dependent flux rate. The nanowire-based magnetoswitchable protocol may be extremely useful for adjusting the electrochemical reactivity, such as for tuning the power output of fuel cells (rather than switching the power on/off).