Tuning the Product Selectivity toward the High Yield of Glyceric Acid in Pt−CeO2/CNT Electrocatalyzed Oxidation of Glycerol

Abstract

AbstractElectrocatalytic oxidation of glycerol is a highly efficient way for upgrading glycerol toward fine chemicals. Currently, electro‐oxidation of glycerol into the high value‐added C3 products remains a big challenge because of the poor catalytic activity, low selectivity, and high cost of the noble metal catalysts, especially in the alkaline medium. Here, we report that the Pt−CeO2/CNT (CNT=carbon nanotubes) catalyst remarkably promotes the conversion (86.5 % vs. 37.6 %) and recycling stability for glycerol electro‐oxidation reaction, as compared with Pt/CNT. However, the improved catalytic activity of Pt−CeO2/CNT is accompanied by the further oxidation of C3 products including glyceric acid (GLYA). By tuning the product distribution by the ratio of CeO2 and CNT, applied potential, and the Pt loading amount, the high selectivities of C3 products (95 %) and GLYA (59 %) are achieved together with the high glycerol conversion (86 %), leading to the impressive yields of C3 products (81 %) and GLYA (50 %). The unique contributions of CeO2 includes not only the enhanced catalytic activity and recycling stability, but also the suppressed further oxidation of GLYA. Moreover, higher yield of GLYA is reached over Pt−CeO2/CNT even with half loading of Pt, as compared with Pt/CNT.