Self-Supported PdSnx Catalysts for the Electrooxidation of Alcohols

Palladium-based nanocatalysts possess high activity and stability towards alcohol oxidation reactions in alkaline media, and can then be considered as possible economical substitutes of Pt for alcohol oxidation. There is indeed an increasing number of published works devoted to the development of Pt-free anode catalysts for direct alcohol fuel cells^1-3.

In addition, Sn is known to an excellent co-catalyst for the electrooxidation of alcohol, particularly ethanol, in acidic as well as in alkaline media.^4,5

In the present communication, we present the synthesis by the sacrificial support method (SSM), which was developed by the research group of Prof. Atanassov^6,7_, of a series of self-supported PdSn_x catalysts with different atomic ratios and their physicochemical characterization by different methods, such as BET, SEM, TEM, EDX, XPS, and electrochemical method.

The influence of the Pd:Sn atomic ratio on the electrocatalytic behavior towards alcohol oxidation is investigated in alkaline medium, with particular interest to glycerol which is a renewable raw material produced from the biofuel industry. In addition to the promotional effect of tin towards the catalytic activity, the effect on the mechanism of glycerol electrooxidation is also determined using in situ infrared spectroscopy measurements.

At last, the promotional effect of tin is also confirmed for other primary and secondary monoalcohols, and polyols.     

1- A. Serov, C. Kwak, Appl. Catal. B: Environmental  90, 313(2009).

2- C. Bianchini and P. K. Shen, Chem. Rev. 109, 4183(2009).

3- M. Simoes, S. Baranton and C. Coutanceau, Appl. Catal. B: Environmental 93, 354 (2010).

4- C. Lamy, S. Rousseau, E. M. Belgsir, C. Coutanceau, J. -M. Léger, Electrochim. Acta 49, 3901 (2004).

5- R. M. Modibedi, T. Masombuka, M. K. Mathe, International Journal of Hydrogen Energy 36, 4664 (2011).

6- A. Serov, U. Martinez, P. Atanassov Electrochem. Comm. 34, 185 (2013).

7- A. Serov, U. Martinez, A. Falase, P. Atanassov Electrochem. Comm. 22, 193 (2012).

Acknowledgment: Anna Zalineeva thanks the Center for Emerging Energy Technologies, Farris Engineering Center (UNM) for assistance and technical support, and the county council of Poitou- Charentes (France) for financial support. UNM portion of this work was funded in part by DOE-BES EPSCoR Implementation Award: “Materials for Energy Conversion”.