Glycerol Electrooxidation at Industrially Relevant Current Densities Using Electrodeposited PdNi/Nifoam Catalysts in Aerated Alkaline Media

Abstract

Through glycerol electrooxidation, we demonstrate the viability of using a PdNi catalyst electrodeposited on Ni foam to facilitate industrially relevant rates of hydrogen generation while concurrently providing valuable organic chemicals as glycerol oxidation products. This electrocatalyst, in a solution of 2 M NaOH and 1 M glycerol at 80 °C, enabled current densities above 2000 mA cm−2 (in a voltammetric sweep) to be obtained in atmospheres of both air and N2. Repeated potential cycling under an aerated atmosphere to these exceptional current densities indicated a high stability of the catalyst. Through steady state polarisation curves, 1000 mA cm−2 was reached below an anodic potential of 0.8 V vs RHE. Chronoamperometry showed glycerate and lactate being the major oxidation products, with increased selectivity for lactate at the expense of glycerate in aerated systems. Aerated atmospheres were demonstrated to consistently increase the apparent Faradaic efficiency to >100%, as determined by the concentration of oxidation products in solution. The excellent performance of PdNi/Ni in aerated solutions suggests that O2 removal from the electrolyte is not needed for an industrial glycerol electrooxidation process, and that combining electrochemical and chemical glycerol oxidation, in the presence of dissolved O2, presents an important process advantage.