To understand the effect of alloying Pd with oxophilic metals such as Zn, a set of Vulcan XC72R �supported PdZn, Pd, and Zn were synthesized, characterized, and tested for ethanol oxidation in alkaline media. They were also compared to commercial E-tek Pt catalyst and unsupported phase pure PdZn catalysts. PdZn was twice as active as Pd alone, with onset potential of ~-0.6V vs Hg/HgO, andtransport limited peak current of ~6300mAcm-2mgPd-1 at -0.1V. The peak current was limited by oxidation and passivation of Pd at -0.1V. The carbon support reduced passivation. Similarly, NiZn/XC72R has good ethanol oxidation activity with an onset of ~0.65V. The peak current for electro-oxidation of ethanol on NiZn is approximately 30% of PdZn. Thus, we find that supported PdZn and NiZn are both active catalysts for ethanol electro-oxidation, with the main active site being likely Pd or Ni and Zn addition improving the intrinsic catalytic performance.

Electro-oxidation of alcohols in alkaline media on non-noble alloys

242nd National Meeting (2011)

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