CoFe-Layered Double Hydroxide Coupled with Pd Particles for Electrocatalytic Ethanol Oxidation

Electrocatalytic efficiency and stability have emergedas criticalissues in the ethanol oxidation reaction (EOR) of direct ethanol fuelcells. In this paper, Pd/Co1Fe3-LDH/NFas an electrocatalyst for EOR was prepared by a two-step syntheticstrategy. Metal-oxygen bonds formed between Pd nanoparticlesand Co1Fe3-LDH/NF guaranteed structuralstability and adequate surface-active site exposure. More importantly,the charge transfer of the formed Pd-O-Co-(Fe) bridgecould effectively modulate the electrical structure of hybrids, improvingthe facilitated absorption of OH- radicals and oxidationof COads. Benefiting from the interfacial interaction,exposed active sites, and structural stability, the observed specificactivity for Pd/Co1Fe3-LDH/NF (17.46mA cm(-2)) was 97 and 73 times higher than those ofcommercial Pd/C (20%) (0.18 mA cm(-2)) and Pt/C (20%)(0.24 mA cm(-2)), respectively. Besides, the j (f)/j (r) ratio representingthe resistance to catalyst poisoning was 1.92 in the Pd/Co1Fe3-LDH/NF catalytic system. These results provideinsights into optimizing the electronic interaction between metalsand the support of electrocatalysts for EOR.

Automated summary

In this study, a Pd/Co1Fe3-LDH/NF electrocatalyst for ethanol oxidation reaction (EOR) in direct ethanol fuel cells was prepared using a two-step synthetic strategy. The metal-oxygen bonds formed between Pd nanoparticles and Co1Fe3-LDH/NF ensured structural stability and sufficient exposure of surface-active sites. The charge transfer of the Pd-O-Co-(Fe) bridge effectively modulated the electrical structure of hybrids, enhancing the absorption of OH- radicals and oxidation of COads. The specific activity of Pd/Co1Fe3-LDH/NF (17.46 mA cm(-2)) was 97 and 73 times higher than that of commercial Pd/C (20%) (0.18 mA cm(-2)) and Pt/C (20%) (0.24 mA cm(-2)), respectively. The j (f)/j (r) ratio representing the resistance to catalyst poisoning in the Pd/Co1Fe3-LDH/NF catalytic system was 1.92. These findings provide insights for optimizing the electronic interaction between metals and electrocatalyst supports for EOR.