Influence of physicochemical characteristics of carbon supports on Pd ethanol oxidation catalysts

Direct ethanol fuel cells (DEFCs) have the potential to play a valuable role in the conversion of energy from sustainable sources. DEFCs need a support matrix, typically carbon, for the noble metal catalyst. In this work, two distinct carbon supports are compared and their electrochemical efficacy i...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published inEnergy procedia Vol. 151; pp. 79 - 83
Main Authors Elsheikh, Ahmed, Martins, Vitor L., McGregor, James
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Elsevier Ltd 01.10.2018
Subjects
carbon
ethanol electrooxidation
mesoporous
ethanol electrooxidation
Pd
carbon
mesoporous
Online AccessGet full text

Cover

More Information
Summary:Direct ethanol fuel cells (DEFCs) have the potential to play a valuable role in the conversion of energy from sustainable sources. DEFCs need a support matrix, typically carbon, for the noble metal catalyst. In this work, two distinct carbon supports are compared and their electrochemical efficacy is related to their physicochemical characteristics. Specifically, Vulcan (Cv) is compared to Selectivity (Cs) as a support for Pd nanoparticles to catalyze ethanol electrooxidation. Characterisation data show that Cs has potentially favorable properties such as a high surface area. However, Pd/Cv exhibits a superior catalytic performance due to the higher adequacy of Cv texture that meets the particular needs of DEFC support in terms of pore size distribution. Additionally, synthesis of Pd nanoparticles on both carbons has decreased their surface areas and increased their pore sizes.
ISSN:1876-6102
1876-6102
DOI:10.1016/j.egypro.2018.09.031