Electrocatalytic hydrogenation of cinnamaldehyde in a PEM cell: The role of sodium hydroxide and platinum loading

Abstract

In order to improve the electrocatalytic performance of Vulcan XC-72 supported Pt catalyst used as a cathode towards the electrocatalytic hydrogenation of cinnamaldehyde in a PEM cell, two different studies were carried out. In the first stage, the influence of the cathode Pt loading was evaluated. In a second study the influence of the pH during the cathode synthesis procedure (by modifying the required amount of NaOH) was explored. Results from physicochemical and electrochemical characterization and PEM essays showed that both pH and metal loading play a direct role on the obtained active particle size, basicity as well as on the electrochemical surface area, Pt facets and degradation of the samples. As a consequence, the electrochemical hydrogenation activity and selectivity are highly modified by both parameters. Hence, the cathode prepared with 15 wt.% of Pt using a 0.2 M NaOH solution showed the best electrocatalytic performance due to its relative basicity and suitable metal dispersion, which provide adequate ECSA value, deactivation degree and selectivity to the value-added compounds.