Carbon support materials for the electrocatalyst for the formic acid electrooxidation

Title : Carbon support materials for the electrocatalyst for the formic acid electrooxidation

Abstract:

In this work, Pd-based catalysts supported on various carbon-based support materials for the oxidation of formic acid will be discussed. The role of a chemical structure and bonding of carbon materials such as carbon nanotubes, graphene, mesoporous carbon, and nitrogen-doped reduced graphene oxide in the electrooxidation process will be discussed. The aim is to design and develop a highly efficient and durable electrocatalyst for formic acid oxidation. We have prepared and tested PdCo-based electrocatalysts on several carbon-based materials. The performance of Pd based catalysts on carbon nanotubes, graphene, mesoporous carbon, and nitrogen-doped reduced graphene oxide will compared and analyzed. Nitrogen-doped graphene oxide was prepared using hydrothermal chemical reduction with urea as a source of nitrogen. The PdCo nanoparticles are deposited on the nitrogen-doped graphene oxide support using the impregnation-reduction method using sodium borohydride as a reducing agent and citric acid as a stabilizing agent. The structural features such as phases, composition, oxidation states, and particle sizes were determined by the XRD, TEM, SEM-EDX, and XPS. The PdCo nanoparticles of particle size 3.5 nm were deposited on the nitrogen-doped graphene. The electrochemical performance of the catalysts was determined by CO stripping, cyclic voltammetry, and chronoamperometry. The Pd1Co1/N-rGO showed excellent mass activity of 4833.12 mA-1mg Pd in the 0.5M sulfuric acid and 0.5 M formic acid aqueous solution, twice the activity shown. Pd1Co1/CNT. Pd1Co1/N-rGO showed excellent long-term stability by showing a steady state current density of 700 mA-1mg Pd after 5000 s. Bimetallic PdCo and the nitrogen-doped graphene are responsible for the enhanced performance of the PdCo/N-rGO catalyst. 

Audience Takeaway Notes: 

• The role of carbon-based support materials on the performance of formic acid oxidation catalysts
• Understand the role of Pd in formic acid oxidation 
• Structure-activity relation of electrocatalysts
• Future direction of research on the formic acid oxidation catalysts development

Biography:

Safdar Hossain SK studied Chemical Engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, India, and graduated with an M.Tech in 2005. He then obtained his Ph.D. in Catalysis from King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals, Saudi Arabia, in 2012. He is currently an Associate professor of Chemical Engineering at King Faisal University in Saudi Arabia. He is a senior member of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers. He has over 50 research articles and is an inventor of more than 20 US patents. His research interests lie in the development of electrocatalysts for electrochemical processes, including fuel cells and carbon dioxide reductions.