Comprehensive Analysis on the Highly Active and Stable PdAu/C Electrocatalyst for Ethanol Oxidation Reaction in Alkaline Media

Abstract

Both the catalytic activity and stability of palladium toward the ethanol oxidation reaction (EOR) in alkaline media are urgently required to be enhanced for the practical application of anion exchange membrane direct ethanol fuel cells (AEM DEFCs). The considerable improvement in the stability induced by the Au element has been well demonstrated; however, the catalytic activity from combining Pd with Au remains unsatisfied. Here, we successfully synthesize a series of PdxAuy/C electrocatalysts with different Pd/Au atomic ratios by a coreduction method, and in contrast to normal acknowledgments, the optimal PdAu/C sample not only possesses good stability but also has strikingly improved activity toward the EOR in alkaline media. Results show that the peak current density and degradation percentage for PdAu/C are, respectively, 84.16 mA/cm2 and 12% and 59.73 mA/cm2 and 67% for the pure Pd/C sample. It is anticipated that the striking activity toward the EOR can be attributed to an antipoisoning effect elec...