Sm2O3 promoted Pd/rGO electrocatalyst for formic acid oxidation

Abstract

Herein, we report the synthesis of Sm2O3 incorporated palladium based electrocatalyst, supported over reduced graphene oxide (rGO). PdxSmy nanoparticles (20 wt %) are distributed over rGO surface by using sodium borohydride reduction technique. Different physicochemical analyses are used to characterize the PdxSmy/rGO electro-catalysts (x = 2,4,6 and y = 8,6,4). The synthesized materials (PdxSmy/rGOs) are investigated for their catalytic capabilities toward electro-oxidation of formic acid. The results show that adding Sm2O3 to the Pd/rGO electrocatalyst boosts electrochemical activities of the materials toward formic acid oxidation. The optimized catalyst (Pd6Sm4/rGO) shows excellent activity towards formic acid oxidation with current density of 46.70 mA/cm2 compared to reference catalysts i.e., Pd/rGO (28.78 mA/cm2) and Pd/C (22.22 mA/cm2). The optimized catalyst also demonstrates high CO tolerance and great stability during formic acid oxidation reaction. The enhanced activity and stability are attributed to the synergistic interaction between Sm2O3, and palladium nanoparticles supported over reduced graphene oxide.