Nano-structured Pd-Sn catalysts for alcohol electro-oxidation in alkaline medium

• Pd1Sn1 activity is isopropanol > ethanol > ethylene glycol ≥ glycerol > methanol.
• Very high activity is observed for isopropanol oxidation reaction.
• The rds is not base-catalyzed as it is for gold catalyst.
• The rds of glycerol oxidation is the desorption reaction of dihydroxyacetone.

Active self-supported Pd1Snx catalysts are synthesized by the sacrificial support method. Their catalytic activities towards C1 to C3 alcohol oxidation are determined in alkaline medium. The comparison of the activities allows discarding a first base-catalyzed deprotonation reaction of alcohol as oxidation rate-determining step, speaking up for mechanisms involving a C-adsorption of carbon bearing an alcohol function. It is also shown that desorption of dihydroxyacetone is the glycerol oxidation-limiting step at low potentials.