The promotional effect of rare earth on Pt for ethanol electro-oxidation and its application on DEFC

Resumo

Bimetallic Pt3Eu/C, Pt3La/C, and Pt3Ce/C electrocatalysts have been prepared, characterized, and tested for ethanol electro-oxidation (EEO). The materials were synthesized by chemical reduction with NaBH4 , rendering nanosized particles with actual compositions close to the nominals and no alloy formation. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) confirmed that the auxiliary rare-earth metals were present on the surface in oxide form. The electrochemical analyses in acid and alkaline EEO evidenced that, compared to Pt/C, the addition of rare earth metals in the form of oxides reduced the onset potential, increased the current density, and enhanced the stability. The results were fully confirmed in the DEFC single-cell measurements. Finally, the presence of rare earth metals in the oxidized form increased the percentage of acetic acid as the final product, making the electrocatalysts more selective and efficient than Pt/C, where acetaldehyde was the main product.

Descrição

Palavras-chave

DEFC, Platinum, Rare earth metals, Ethanol electro-oxidation, Product distribution

Citação

NUNES, Alécio Rodrigues et al. The promotional effect of rare earth on Pt for ethanol electro-oxidation and its application on DEFC. Catalysts, Basel, v. 13, n. 6, e1011, 2023. DOI: 10.3390/catal13061011. Disponível em: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4344/13/6/1011. Acesso em: 12 dez. 2023.