Synthesis and enhanced electrochemical performance of Pt-Ag/porous polyaniline composites for glycerol oxidation

- Pt-Ag/porous PANI were fabricated successfully via electrodeposition method.
- Pt-Ag/porous PANI (300/300) exhibited the best catalytic activity.
- Porous PANI and synergic effect between Pt and Ag can enhance utilization of Pt.

Porous polyaniline (PANI) with enhanced surface area was obtained using attapulgite (ATP) as a template and then etched with HF acid. Pt-Ag/porous PANI nanocomposites were fabricated successfully via step-by-step electrodeposition method, and then characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscope (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), attenuated total reflection fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR), and UV-visible spectrophotometer (UV-visible). The influence of deposition order and deposition laps of Pt, Ag towards glycerol oxidation was also studied. The results showed that when Pt was deposited first then Ag, and the deposition laps of both Pt and Ag were 300 laps, Pt-Ag/porous PANI (300/300) exhibited the best effect. The catalytic activity of Pt-Ag/porous PANI (300/300) was 3.14 times higher than that of the commercial 20 wt.% Pt/C. In addition, the Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS), chronoamperometry and stability testing proved that the Pt-Ag/porous PANI (300/300) modified electrode showed not only excellent electrocatalytic activity but also better poison resistance and good stability towards glycerol oxidation in contrast to other as-prepared composites as well as commercial 20 wt.% Pt/C catalysts, which may be ascribed to high utilization of Pt resulted from porous structure of support and the synergic effect between Pt and Ag.

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