Surface-clean low-doped PdB/C as superior electrocatalysts toward ethanol oxidation in alkaline media

摘要

cqvip:Developing highly active, low-cost and organic surfactants-free Pd-based catalysts for ethanol oxidation reaction(EOR) is now critically important for direct ethanol fuel cells. Herein, surface-clean low-doped PdB/C catalysts(typically ca. 1.5 at% of B) are successfully prepared in an aqueous condition without adding any organic surfactants. TEM characterization shows that as-prepared low-doped Pd B nanoparticles are evenly distributed on carbon support. Cyclic voltommagrams of as-prepared low-doped PdB/C in 0.5 M NaOH + 1 M C_2H_5OH indicate that its onset oxidation potential of ethanol is ca. 80-120 mV more negative than that on commercial Pd/C. Meanwhile, the EOR mass activity of our home-made catalysts is up to 4018 m A·mg^(-1) Pd. Moreover, the durability on low-doped PdB/C catalysts is at most 2 times higher than that on commercial Pd/C. Geometric and electronic effects are adopted to understand the above mentioned enhancement of activity and durability. This work may provide a facile, low-cost and green strategy on preparing electrocatalysts toward EOR in alkaline media.