Abstract

The oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) was studied on carbon-supported cubic palladium nanoparticles of different sizes (∼30nm, ∼10nm and ∼7nm). Cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) were used as capping agents to prepare the nanocubes and Pd content in the catalyst samples was 20 and 50wt%. The surface morphology of the prepared materials was studied by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The catalyst materials were electrochemically characterised by cyclic voltammetry and CO stripping experiments. The rotating disk electrode (RDE) method was employed for ORR studies in 0.5M H2SO4 and 0.1M HClO4 solutions. The ORR results revealed that the specific activity of cubic Pd nanoparticles is higher than that of spherical Pd particles and does not depend on the Pd content in the catalyst, but decreases with decreasing the size of Pd nanocubes. Mass activity of Pd nanocubes increased with decreasing the particle size. The ORR proceeds mainly via 4-electron pathway and the reaction mechanism is similar to that on bulk Pd.

Talk to us

Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have

Schedule a call

Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.