Novel Pd-In catalysts for alcohols electrooxidation in alkaline media

Novel unsupported Pd-In catalysts with varied Pd:In ratio were synthesized by the sacrificial support method (SSM). Catalysts were characterized by XRD, SEM, TEM and BET techniques. The electrochemical activity for the oxidation reactions of methanol, ethanol, ethylene glycol, and glycerol was evaluated in alkaline media. High surface area in the range of 40 m2 g− 1 was determined for all catalysts. The observed mass activity of PdIn3 for the oxidation of ethylene glycol and glycerol was significantly higher of any reported in the literature, making this material a state-of-the-art catalyst.