Quasi-zero-dimensional cobalt-doped CeO2 dots on Pd catalysts for alcohol electro-oxidation with enhanced poisoning-tolerance. Issue 34 (18th August 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Tan, Qiang; Zhu, Haiyan; Guo, Shengwu; Chen, Yuanzhen; Jiang, Tao; Shu, Chengyong; Chong, Shaokun; Hultman, Benjamin; Liu, Yongning; Wu, Gang
• Is Part Of: Nanoscale. Volume 9:Issue 34(2017)
• Page Start: 12565
• Page End: 12572
• Publication Date: 2017-08-18
• Subjects: Nanoscience -- Periodicals; Nanotechnology -- Periodicals; 620.505
• DOI: 10.1039/c7nr03262e
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2040-3364

Abstract

Abstract : The ultrafine cobalt-doped CeO2 dots were prepared with a new facile approach, and they can be an effective anti-poisoning promoter for Pd catalysts towards methanol and ethanol electrooxidation reaction in alkaline media. Abstract : Deactivation of an anode catalyst resulting from the poisoning of COad -like intermediates is one of the major problems for methanol and ethanol electro-oxidation reactions (MOR & EOR), and remains a grand challenge towards achieving high performance for direct alcohol fuel cells (DAFCs). Herein, we report a new approach for the preparation of ultrafine cobalt-doped CeO2 dots (Co-CeO2, d = 3.6 nm), which can be an effective anti-poisoning promoter for Pd catalysts towards MOR and EOR in alkaline media. Compared to Pd/CeO2 and pure Pd, the hybrid Pd/Co-CeO2 nanocomposite catalyst exhibited a much enhanced activity and remarkable anti-poisoning ability for both MOR and EOR. The nanocomposite catalyst showed much higher mass activity (4×) than a state-of-the-art PtRu catalyst. The promotional mechanism was elucidated using extensive characterization and density-functional theory (DFT). A bifunctional effect of the Co-CeO2 dots was discovered to be due to (i) an enhanced electronic interaction between Co-CeO2 and Pd dots and (ii) the increased oxygen storage capacity of Co-CeO2 dots to facilitate the oxidation of COad . Therefore, the Pd/Co-CeO2 nanocomposite appears to be a promising catalyst for advanced DAFCs with low cost and high performance.