Palladium selenides as active methanol tolerant cathode materials for direct methanol fuel cell

Palladium selenides, PdSe, Pd3Se and PdSe2 have been prepared by the hydrothermal method and investigated for their structural and electrocatalytic properties toward the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) using SEM/TEM, XRD, cyclic and linear sweep voltammetries. The crystallites of PdSe and PdSe2 are found to follow tetragonal and orthorhombic crystal structures, respectively. The PdSe electrode in 0.5 M H2SO4 exhibits significantly higher electrocatalytic activity than the Pd3Se or PdSe2 electrode under similar experimental conditions. Further, a change in the palladium/selenium ratio from unity in the catalyst results in low ORR activity.

► In this study we prepare palladium selenides (PdSe, Pd3Se and PdSe2) by using hydrothermal method. ► The prepared catalysts were investigated for oxygen reduction reaction. ► Among prepared catalysts PdSe were found to be most active than Pd3Se and PdSe2. ► The prepared catalysts have excellence tolerance for methanol oxidation reaction. ► PdSe can be used as a potential methanol tolerant cathode for the ORR in methanol fuel cells.