Electrochemical Behavior of Pd-based Nanocatalysts (Hollow@Me@Pd/C) in Direct Alcohol Oxidation in Alkaline Medium

The synthesis and application of core@shell nanocatalysts with high morphological organization has become an attractive research area, with potential application in fuel cell devices. Although the use of this class of nanocatalysts has increased, their catalytic performance and oxidation behavior toward alternative fuels such as ethanol, ethylene glycol, and glycerol remain to be elucidated. This paper describes the electrochemical characterization of the Pd-based catalyst (Hollow@Me@Pd/C, Me = Ru, Ni, and Sn), applied to the electrooxidation of ethanol, ethylene glycol, and glycerol in alkaline medium. The nanocatalysts were prepared by the co-reduction method; NaBH 4 and sodium dodecylsulfate (SDS) were used, to promote an electrostatically self-assembled organization. The nanocatalyst compositions responded well in terms of fuel oxidation. Chronoamperometry results indicated the following order of reactivity: ethylene glycol < ethanol < glycerol. The best catalyst composition for glycerol was Hollow@Ni@Pd/C.