Synthesis and electrochemical FTIR study of Pd-based nanostructured catalysts

摘要

Palladium-based nanomaterials with high surface areas have been receiving great attention due to their unique properties, which enable a number of impressive applications in catalysis, fuel cells, hydrogen storage and chemical sensors. Recent studies have shown that the electrocatalytic performance of Pd-based nanomaterials is highly dependent on the composition, morphology and surface conditions of the synthesized materials. In this study, a variety of Pd-based nanostructured materials including nanoporous Pd networks and PdPt nanodendrites with different compositions have been synthesized using the hydrothermal method. The as-fabricated Pd-based nanostructured materials were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). The electrochemical properties of these Pd-based nanomaterials were studied using cyclic voltammetry and in-situ electrochemical infrared spectroscopy. Our studies have shown that the fabricated Pd-based nanostructures possess a very large surface area and high catalytic activity towards the electrochemical oxidation of formic acid. In addition, this work has demonstrated that in-situ electrochemical infrared spectroscopy is a powerful technique for the study of the nanostured interface.