The Role of Ruthenium on Carbon‐Supported PtRu Catalysts for Electrocatalytic Glycerol Oxidation under Acidic Conditions

• Published in: ChemCatChem Vol. 9; no. 9; pp. 1683 - 1690
• Main Authors: Kim, Youngmin, Kim, Hyun Woo, Lee, Seonhwa, Han, Jisu, Lee, Daewon, Kim, Jeong‐Rang, Kim, Tae‐Wan, Kim, Chul‐Ung, Jeong, Soon‐Yong, Chae, Ho‐Jeong, Kim, Beom‐Sik, Chang, Hyunju, Kim, Won Bae, Choi, Sung Mook, Kim, Hyung Ju
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Weinheim Wiley Subscription Services, Inc 10.05.2017
• Subjects: acidity; biomass; Catalysts; Catalytic activity; electrochemistry; Electronic properties; Particle size distribution; platinum; ruthenium; Voltammetry
• ISSN: 1867-3880; 1867-3899
• DOI: 10.1002/cctc.201601325

A series of binary PtRu catalysts with different Pt/Ru atomic ratios (from 7:3 to 3:7) were synthesized on a carbon support using the colloidal method; they were then used for electrooxidation of glycerol in acid media. X‐ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and X‐ray absorption spectroscopy analyses were used to investigate particle size, size distribution, and structural and electronic properties of the prepared catalysts. Ru added to the Pt‐based catalysts caused structural and electronic modifications over the PtRu alloy catalyst formation. The electrocatalytic activities of PtRu/C series catalysts were investigated using cyclic voltammetry. The Pt5Ru5/C catalyst shows enhanced catalytic activity at least 40 % higher than that of the Pt/C catalyst, with improved stability for glycerol electrooxidation; these improvements are attributed to structural and electronic modifications of the Pt catalysts. Using an electrocatalytic batch reactor, product analysis after the oxidation reaction was performed by high‐performance liquid chromatography to determine and compare the reaction pathways on the Pt/C and PtRu/C catalysts. To understand different catalytic activities of glycerol oxidation on the PtRu alloy surfaces, density functional calculations were performed. Atomic ratio inspected: Reaction product analysis and density functional calculations unveil the promotional effects of ruthenium addition to Pt/C catalysts for glycerol electrooxidation in acid media. The role of structurally and electronically modified PtRu surfaces in glycerol binding and bond breaking is evidenced.