Porous Carbon/rGO Composite: An Ideal Support Material of Highly Efficient Palladium Electrocatalysts for the Formic Acid Oxidation Reaction

Abstract

Catalyst support materials play an important role in the electrochemical performance of the catalyst in fuel cells. Herein, we present a synergistic effect of surface area and electronic conductivity on the efficiency of a carbon support material towards its application in direct formic acid fuel cells. A composite of reduced graphene oxide (rGO) and metal organic framework (MOF‐5) derived porous carbon (PC) was used as a novel support material for a high dispersion of palladium nanoparticles. The rGO1‐C1 electrocatalyst, which consists of an equal ratio of PC and rGO, was found to be the most effective for the formic acid electro‐oxidation reaction. The obtained mass specific activity for Pd/rGO1‐C1 (969.76 mA mg−1) is 1.52 times higher than for Pd/rGO (639.5 mA mg−1) and 2.63 times higher than Pd/C (368.73 mA mg−1) synthesized under the same conditions and at given onset peak potentials. The Pd/rGO1‐C1 electrocatalyst was also found to be much more stable than other catalysts as evidenced by chronoamperometric measurements for up to 3000 s. The high activity and stability of the catalyst fabricated over the composite carbon support is due to a synergism between the Pd metal and the composite support toward charge transfer, where highly porous carbon provides a high surface area and the rGO is highly conductive, thereby boosting the electrical properties of the catalyst.

A General Strategy to Synthesize Ultrathin Palladium/Transition Metal Alloy Nanowires: Anti-Poisoned Electrocatalytic Performance for the Oxygen Reduction Reaction in Acidic and Alkaline Media

“…After the acid treatment, the atomic ratio of the PdBiCu NWs was changed (5.6:1.07:1 by ICP-OES data (shown in Table S1)), due to the etching of Cu atoms, resulting in the generation of active sites and lattice defects. The electrochemical active surface area (ECSA) was estimated in line with literature values, 62,63 and the ECSA of the synthesized PdBiCu NWs is greater than that of PdBi NWs and commercial catalysts (Figure S19). The larger ECSA of the PdBiCu NW catalyst is in line with the ultrathin diameter, lowest Pd−Pd coordination, and defect/grain boundaries present on the PdBiCu NW surface, which offer the 3D surface molecular accessibility.…”

Chemical Design of Palladium‐Based Nanoarchitectures for Catalytic Applications

“…Good dispersion of the catalyst particles will increase the catalyst contact area with the reactant(s), leading to better catalytic activity, while also reducing the loading of catalyst . To date, numerous materials have been utilized as support materials for noble metal catalysts, including carbons, oxides, carbides, and electroconductive polymers . For electrocatalytic applications, some requirements should be fulfilled by the support materials to ensure their successful utilization .…”

Role of Ultrathin Carbon Shell in Enhancing the Performance of PtZn Intermetallic Nanoparticles as an Anode Electrocatalyst for Direct Formic Acid Fuel Cells

“…Direct formic acid fuel cell (DFAFC) is a promising power source for automobiles and portable electronic devices due to their high power and energy density. [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8] Developing robust electrocatalysts for the formic acid oxidation reaction (FAOR) is vital for promoting the commercialization of DFAFCs. [9][10][11] Particularly, structurally ordered Pt-based intermetallic nanoparticles (iNPs) have been demonstrated as a promising electrocatalyst for FAOR because that they can efficiently reduce Pt usage and enhance poisoning tolerance.…”

“…Direct formic acid fuel cell (DFAFC) is a promising power source for automobiles and portable electronic devices due to their high power and energy density . Developing robust electrocatalysts for the formic acid oxidation reaction (FAOR) is vital for promoting the commercialization of DFAFCs .…”