Temperature-treated polyaniline layers as support for Pd catalysts: electrooxidation of glycerol in alkaline medium

Abstract

A new approach for obtaining highly dispersed Pd- and Pd/TiO2- electrocatalyst materials is proposed based on the use of polyaniline (PANI) as a sacrificial layer. PANI- or TiO2/PANI-coated electrodes are obtained by electrochemical polymerization of aniline in the absence or presence of TiO2 nanoparticles. Electroless palladium deposition at the expense of PANI oxidation is used to disperse the metal phase. Temperature treatment at 400 °C is further used to decompose the polymer backbone and obtain a highly dispersed catalysts deprived from the intrinsic electroactivity of PANI. The temperature-treated Pd/PANI and Pd/TiO2/PANI composites are studied as catalysts for the electrooxidation of glycerol in alkaline solutions.