Synthesis of carbon supported palladium nanoparticles catalyst using a facile homogeneous precipitation-reduction reaction method for formic acid electrooxidation

► A facile homogeneous precipitation-reduction reaction is used to prepare Pd/C catalyst. ► [PdCl4]2− species can slowly transformed into the insoluble PdO·H2O precipitation. ► A ultrafine Pd/C catalyst is synthesized by PdO·H2O → Pd0 in situ reduction reaction path. ► The Pd/C catalyst possesses excellent catalytic performance for formic acid oxidation.