Highly active PdCu catalysts for electrooxidation of 2-propanol

A sacrificial support method (SSM) in combination with chemical reduction of metal precursors was used for the preparation of palladium–copper catalysts. Three materials with Pd:Cu ratios of 1:3, 1:1 and 3:1 were synthesized and characterized by XRD, SEM, TEM and BET methods. The catalytic activity for the electrooxidation of 2-propanol was investigated. The SSM method allowed for the preparation of nano-sized unsupported PdCu catalysts with uniformly distributed particles. The surface area of all materials was in the range of 50 m2 g− 1. The mass activity of Pd3Cu catalyst 790 mA g− 1Pd is significantly higher than other reports in the literature making this material state-of-the-art in the reaction of 2-propanol electrooxidation.

► This is the first report on 2-propanol electrooxidation by PdCu catalysts.
► The Sacrificial Support Method (SSM) was used to prepare the PdCu materials.
► The mass activity of the Pd3Cu catalyst 790 mA g− 1Pd is state-of-the-art.