Formic acid decomposition-inhibited intermetallic Pd3Sn2 nanonetworks for efficient formic acid electrooxidation

Inhibiting formic acid decomposition on Pd-based electrocatalysts is a major challenge for realizing the commercialization of direct formic acid fuel cells (DFAFCs). Inspired by the catalytic characteristics of formic acid decomposition/electrooxidation on Pd-based materials, here we synthesize intermetallic bimetallic Pd-Sn nanonetworks (NNWs) to deal with this problem. Compared to commercial Pd black with high catalytic activity, the strong Pd-Sn electronic interaction in intermetallic Pd3Sn2 NNWs induces the complete inhibition of formic acid decomposition at 80 degrees C. Parallelly, Pd3Sn2 NNWs exhibit mass activity of 448 A g(pd)(1-) for formic acid electrooxidation due to Pd-Sn synergistic effect, which is 2.1 times higher than that of commercial Pd black. The stable intermetallic structure and three-dimensionally interconnected architecture endow Pd3Sn2 NNWs with better electrochemical and electrocatalytic durability, suggesting promising cost-effective anode catalysts for DFAFCs.