Synthesis and electrocatalytic activity of highly porous hollow palladium nanoshells for oxygen reduction in alkaline solution

Phys Chem Chem Phys. 2013 Jul 21;15(27):11461-7. doi: 10.1039/c3cp50661d. Epub 2013 Jun 7.

Abstract

A series of hollow Pd nanoshells are prepared by employing Co nanoparticles as sacrificial templates with different concentrations of a Pd precursor (1, 6, 12, 20, and 40 mM K2PdCl4), denoted hPd-X (X: concentration of K2PdCl4 in mM unit). The synthesized hPd series are tested as a cathodic electrocatalyst for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in alkaline solution. The morphology and surface area of the hPd catalysts are characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM), and cyclic voltammetry (CV). Rotating disk electrode (RDE) voltammetric studies show that the hPd-20 (prepared using 20 mM K2PdCl4) has the highest ORR activity among all the hPd series, while being comparable to commercial Pd and Pt catalysts (E-TEK). The more facilitated ORR at hPd-20 is presumably induced by the enhanced Pd surface area and efficiently high porosity of Pd nanoshells.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Catalysis
  • Cobalt / chemistry
  • Electrochemical Techniques
  • Metal Nanoparticles / chemistry*
  • Oxidation-Reduction
  • Oxygen / chemistry*
  • Palladium / chemistry*
  • Particle Size
  • Porosity
  • Sodium Hydroxide / chemistry*
  • Solutions
  • Surface Properties

Substances

  • Solutions
  • Cobalt
  • Sodium Hydroxide
  • Palladium
  • Oxygen