Alcohol oxidation on nanocrystalline oxide Pd/C promoted electrocatalysts

Pd/C promoted with nanocrystalline oxides electrocatalysts were prepared by the intermittent microwave heating. The electrooxidation of methanol, ethanol, glycerol and ethylene glycol on CeO2, Co3O4, Mn3O4 and NiO promoted Pd/C catalysts in alkaline media was studied. Such electrocatalysts are superior to Pt-based electrocatalysts in terms of activity and poison tolerance. The most significant result is that the onset potential for ethanol oxidation on Pd–NiO/C electrocatalyst is shifted negatively by 300 mV compared with that of Pt/C electrocatalyst under the same experimental conditions. The electrochemical parameters were measured and analyzed.