Electroreduction of Oxygen on Carbide-Derived Carbon Supported Pd Catalysts

Pd catalyst was deposited onto various carbide-derived carbons (CDC) that were prepared from TiC, Mo2C and SiC. Specific surface area and pore size distribution of the Pd/CDC materials were measured. Microwave plasma assisted atomic emission spectroscopy was carried out to give information about the amount of Pd deposited. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) studies revealed that CDC was uniformly covered by fine Pd particles, the size of which was further analysed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) on Pd/CDC catalysts was studied in KOH and HClO4 solutions. These electrocatalysts showed higher specific activities for ORR as compared to the commercial Pd/C catalyst.