Electrocatalytic Oxidation of Methanol Over Silver-Based Ag-M/C (M = Cu, Zn, Fe, Cr, Mn) Electrocatalysts Synthesized by Solution Combustion Technique

Herein, we report the electrocatalytic properties of Ag-M/C (M = Cu, Zn, Fe, Cr, Mn) catalysts synthesized using solution combustion synthesis (SCS) method for methanol oxidation reaction (MOR). The morphological properties of the synthesized catalysts were studied using SEM, EDX, TEM, XRD and XPS techniques. The results indicated AgCu/C to be the most porous catalyst with small and well distributed nanoparticles making it a suitable choice for electrocatalytic applications. The XPS results showed a shift in peak in the AgCu/C sample due to the charge transfer between Ag and Cu indicating a strong interaction in the compound. The electrochemical measurements in 1 M methanol with 1 M KOH electrolyte by cyclic voltammetry (CV) and linear sweep voltammetry (LSV) revealed that AgCu/C showed high electrocatalytic activity for MOR. Further studies on AgCu/C for methanol concentrations of 0.5 M, 1 M, 1.5 M, 2.5 M to evaluate the rate dependency of the catalyst indicated a power-law dependency with an order of 0.55 on methanol concentration. According to chronoamperometry analysis, the catalyst was stable for at least 20 h. (C) 2022 The Electrochemical Society (ECS). Published on behalf of ECS by IOP Publishing Limited.

Automated summary

This study reports on the electrocatalytic properties of Ag-M/C (M = Cu, Zn, Fe, Cr, Mn) catalysts synthesized via the solution combustion synthesis (SCS) method for methanol oxidation reaction (MOR). The morphological properties of the synthesized catalysts were analyzed using SEM, EDX, TEM, XRD, and XPS techniques. AgCu/C was found to be the most porous catalyst with high electrocatalytic activity. The study also demonstrated the power-law dependence of the catalyst on methanol concentration and the stability of the catalyst for at least 20 hours.