Gas diffusion electrode with platinum/titanium nitride–carbon nitride nanocatalysts for the energy-saving and environment-friendly electrodeposition of manganese dioxide

Abstract

In this paper, the gas diffusion electrode with the platinum/titanium nitride-carbon nitride catalysts was used as the cathode instead of the traditional cathodes (copper and carbon) to save energy and protect the environment. X-ray diffraction, field emission scanning electronic microscopy and transmission electron microscopy were used to characterize the composition, surface structure and nanoparticle size of the platinum/titanium nitride–carbon nitride catalyst. The titanium nitride nanoparticles (20–70 nm) were embedded in the carbon nitride nanowires (30–80 nm); the platinum nanoparticles deposited on the titanium nitride–carbon exhibited good dispersion. The gas diffusion electrode with the platinum/titanium nitride-carbon nitride catalysts was also tested as a cathode in the electrodeposition of the manganese dioxide at 100 A m−2 in an electrolyte of 120 g dm−3 manganese sulfate +30 g dm−3 sulfuric acid at 80 °C. The results demonstrated that electrolysis was performed at 0.7 V, which decreased energy consumption by more than 60% compared with the traditional cathodes (copper and carbon). The durability of the gas diffusion electrode with the platinum/titanium nitride-carbon nitride catalysts (1500 h) is 3.3 times as long as that of gas diffusion electrode with carbon-supported platinum catalysts. After evaluation, the gas diffusion electrode with the platinum/titanium nitride–carbon nitride catalysts shows great potential for the energy-saving and the environment-friendly electrodeposition of manganese dioxide. The platinum/titanium nitride-carbon nitride catalyst may be promising candidate for fuel cells in the future because of its high activity and durability.