Carbon-based catalysts: Synthesis and applications

This paper summarizes the main results obtained by the Fuel Combustion Group in three applications: (1) carbon-based catalysts for the selective catalytic reduction (SCR) process of NOx, (2) Pt and Pt–Ru catalysts for direct alcohol fuel cells, (3) carbon-supported catalysts for the electroreduction of CO2. Concerning the first aspect, low-cost catalysts able to work at lower temperatures have been prepared and compared with commercial catalysts; for the second one, new catalysts for methanol and ethanol electrochemical oxidation exhibiting current densities that are double those of the commercial ones have been developed; as regards the third one, carbon-supported catalysts for the electroreduction of CO2 based on Fe and Pd were synthesized and tested. Formic acid was obtained as the main product on all Fe/C electrodes.