Platinum–palladium bimetallic nanoparticles on graphitic carbon nitride modified carbon black: A highly electroactive and durable catalyst for electrooxidation of alcohols

• A Pt–Pd/g-C3N4/carbon black catalyst is designed and synthesized.
• The catalyst exhibits high catalytic activity for oxidation of various alcohols.
• The high performance is attributed to concerted effects of individual components.

A composite catalyst consisting of Pt–Pd bimetallic nanoparticles (NPs) and graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) modified carbon black (CB) is designed and fabricated by a facile two-step approach. The resulting catalyst exhibits unprecedented high catalytic activity and excellent long-term stability for electrooxidation of alcohols (methanol, ethanol, ethylene glycol and glycerol) in alkaline media. The superior electrochemical performance of the composite catalyst is attributed to the specific characteristics of the unique nanostructure and the synergistic effects of individual components, including the complementary roles of Pt (dehydrogenation site) and Pd (removal of CO-like species), the template effect of the planar amino group of g-C3N4 for the dispersed decoration of Pt–Pd NPs, the high specific surface area of CB for the rapid diffusion of electrolyte and removal of the carbonaceous intermediates, as well as the structural stability of the support based on covalent interaction between g-C3N4 and CB for maintaining the durability of the catalytic system.

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