Hollow Pd/Te nanorods for the effective electrooxidation of methanol†

Methanol electrooxidation is significant in realizing effective C1 liquid fuel applications. Herein, hollow Pd/Te nanorods were fabricated and evaluated for methanol oxidation, and they were found to exhibit high catalytic efficiency for methanol oxidation in alkaline electrolyte compared to Pd or Pd/C catalysts. The hybrid structure of hexagonal crystal Te and face-centered cubic Pd was formed by microwave assisted Pd nanoparticle deposition over the surface of Te nanorods. Strong electronic effects and facile oxophilic properties were indicated in the Pd/Te system by spectroscopic analysis, which mainly accounts for the high catalytic performance for methanol oxidation. Specifically, they showed a peak current density of 90.1 mA cm(-2) for methanol oxidation, around 3.5 times higher than that of commercial Pd/C (26.3 mA cm(-2)). High catalytic stability was also observed for Pd/Te, with a current retention of 64.3% after 3600 s of chronoamperometric testing, much higher than for Pd catalysts (20.1%). High anti-CO poisoning ability of the Pd/Te catalyst was demonstrated in the CO-stripping voltammetry results, and faster catalytic kinetics were also observed for this catalyst system. The electron-rich state of Pd and high active site exposure are responsible for the high performance of the Pd/Te catalyst in methanol oxidation.

Automated summary

In this study, hollow Pd/Te nanorods were fabricated and evaluated for methanol oxidation, showing high catalytic efficiency in alkaline electrolyte compared to commercial Pd/C catalysts. The Pd/Te hybrid structure exhibited strong electronic effects and facile oxophilic properties, leading to its high catalytic performance for methanol oxidation. Additionally, the Pd/Te catalyst demonstrated high catalytic stability, strong anti-CO poisoning ability, and faster catalytic kinetics, which can be attributed to the electron-rich state of Pd and high active site exposure.