Unveiling the effect of shapes and electrolytes on the electrocatalytic ethanol oxidation activity of self-standing Pd nanostructures

<p dir="ltr">Morphologically controlled Pd-based nanocrystals are the most efficient strategies for improving the electrocatalytic ethanol oxidation reaction (EOR) performance; however, their morphological-EOR activity relationship and effect of electrolytes at a wide pH range are st...

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Main Author: Adewale K. Ipadeola (12699590) (author)
Other Authors: Belal Salah (14150460) (author), Alaa Ghanem (16855176) (author), Doniyorbek Ahmadaliev (16855179) (author), Mohammed A. Sharaf (6316964) (author), Aboubakr M. Abdullah (1505017) (author), Kamel Eid (1542562) (author)
Published: 2023
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Summary:<p dir="ltr">Morphologically controlled Pd-based nanocrystals are the most efficient strategies for improving the electrocatalytic ethanol oxidation reaction (EOR) performance; however, their morphological-EOR activity relationship and effect of electrolytes at a wide pH range are still ambiguous. Here, we have synthesized porous self-standing Pd clustered nanospheres (Pd-CNSs) and Pd nanocubes (Pd-NCBs) for the EOR in acidic (H<sub>2</sub>SO<sub>4</sub>), alkaline (KOH), and neutral (NaHCO<sub>3</sub>) electrolytes compared to commercial spherical-like Pd/C catalysts. The fabrication process comprises the ice-cooling reduction of Pd precursor by sodium borohydride (NaBH<sub>4</sub>) and L-ascorbic acid to form Pd-CNSs and Pd-NCBs, respectively. The EOR activity of Pd-CNSs significantly outperformed those of Pd-NCBs, and Pd/C in all electrolytes, but the EOR activity was better in KOH than in H<sub>2</sub>SO<sub>4</sub> and NaHCO<sub>3</sub>. This is due to the 3D porous clustered nanospherical morphology that makes Pd active centers more accessible and maximizes their utilization during EOR. The EOR specific/mass activities of Pd-CNSs reached (8.51 mA/cm2 /2.39 A/mgPd) in KOH, (2.98 mA/cm<sup>2</sup> /0.88 A/mg<sub>P</sub><sub>d</sub>) in H<sub>2</sub>SO<sub>4</sub>, and (0.061 mA/cm<sup>2</sup> /0.0083 A/mg<sub>Pd</sub>) in NaHCO<sub>3</sub>, in addition to stability after 1000 cycles. This study affirms that porous 3D spherical Pd nanostructures are preferred for the EOR than those of 0D spherical-like and multi-dimensional cubelike nanostructures.</p><h2>Other Information</h2><p dir="ltr">Published in: Heliyon<br>License: <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/</a><br>See article on publisher's website: <a href="https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e16890" target="_blank">https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e16890</a></p>