Palladium dispersed in three-dimensional polyaniline networks as the catalyst for hydrogen peroxide electro-reduction in an acidic medium

• Published in: RSC advances Vol. 5; no. 114; pp. 948 - 9415
• Main Authors: Guo, Fen, Ye, Ke, Huang, Xiaomei, Gao, Yinyi, Cheng, Kui, Wang, Guiling, Cao, Dianxue
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 01.01.2015
• Subjects: carbon fibers; catalysts; catalytic activity; Chlorofluorocarbons; dielectric spectroscopy; Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy; Electrodes; electrosynthesis; Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy; Hydrogen peroxide; Networks; Palladium; particle size; polyaniline; Polyanilines; scanning electron microscopy; silver; silver chloride; sulfuric acid; Voltammetry; X-ray diffraction
• ISSN: 2046-2069; 2046-2069
• DOI: 10.1039/c5ra19478d

A novel Pd/polyaniline/CFC electrode is prepared by electroless deposition of palladium (Pd) onto three-dimensional polyaniline networks. The polyaniline matrix on the carbon fiber cloth (CFC) in the reduction state is electro-synthesized by cyclic voltammetry and has a lower vertex potential of −0.4 V vs. Ag/AgCl. The particle size of the Pd coated on the polyaniline chains is gradiently distributed. The as-prepared Pd/polyaniline/CFC electrode is characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FITR) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) electro-reduction reaction in H 2 SO 4 solutions on the Pd/polyaniline/CFC electrode is investigated using cyclic voltammetry (CV), linear sweep voltammetry (LSV), chronoamperometry (CA) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The results reveal that the electrode exhibited high catalytic activity and excellent stability in the strong oxidizing solution of H 2 O 2 and H 2 SO 4 . Polyaniline itself shows electro-catalytic activity towards H 2 O 2 to some extent involving the chemical-electrochemical (C-E) coupling mechanism. A novel Pd/polyaniline/CFC electrode is prepared by electroless deposition of palladium (Pd) onto three-dimensional polyaniline networks.