| Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1268236 | International Journal of Hydrogen Energy | 2016 | 7 Pages |
•Vulcan carbon was chemical treatment for the best nanoalloys distribution and size.•The sonochemical process was used for the PdnZn nanoalloys synthesis.•Nanocatalysts were investigated for electrochemical oxidation of formic acid.•The nanocatalysts performance was evaluated by CV, LSV, DPV and CHA.•PdnZn/VC has higher activity and durability for formic acid oxidation than Pd/VC.
This work reports the synthesis of palladium-based nanoalloys of zinc in different atomic ratio via a sonochemical process and investigation of their activities for formic acid electro-oxidation. The bimetallic nanoalloys are characterized by powder X-ray diffractometry (XRD) and inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES) to determine their crystal structures and elemental compositions. Alloy formation of the nanocatalysts is proven by energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy line profiles using field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM). The PdnZn/VC catalysts (1 ≤ n ≤ 3) showed better performance for the anodic oxidation of formic acid than Pd/VC. Activities based on the current densities are in the order of Pd2Zn > Pd3Zn > Pd1Zn. Compared with Pd/VC catalyst, the anodic peak potential of formic acid shifted toward negative value by ∼30 mV at the Pd2Zn/C catalyst electrode. Pd2Zn/VC also exhibits high stability, suggesting that this bimetallic alloy is a good candidate for the formic acid fuel cell.
