Abstract
Pd–Co catalysts of various compositions are subjected to heat-treatment in an oxygen-containing atmosphere (5% oxygen and 95% argon by volume) and the catalysts are found to form oxides. On exposure to electrochemical conditions, the oxides get reduced in the potential range of 0.05–0.4V of the voltammogram and the voltammetric features of the heat-treated catalyst are comparable to that of the corresponding as-prepared catalyst of same composition. The trends in electrochemical surface area (ESA), current due to formation of adsorbed-oxygenated species and activity towards oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) with catalyst composition are similar and they are in the order of Pd≪Pd1.5Co<PdCo<Pd6.3Co<Pd2Co<Pd3Co. The ORR activity of the catalyst subjected to the oxidative thermal treatment is higher than that of Pd and the corresponding as-prepared catalyst of same composition.
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