Synthesis of PtRu alloy nanofireworks as effective catalysts toward glycerol electro-oxidation in alkaline media

Fangfang Ren; Zhiqing Zhang; Zhengyun Liang; Qian Shen; Yuqian Luan; Rong Xing; Zhenghao Fei; Yukou Du

doi:10.1016/j.jcis.2021.10.054

Synthesis of PtRu alloy nanofireworks as effective catalysts toward glycerol electro-oxidation in alkaline media

J Colloid Interface Sci. 2022 Feb 15;608(Pt 1):800-808. doi: 10.1016/j.jcis.2021.10.054. Epub 2021 Oct 13.

Authors

Fangfang Ren¹, Zhiqing Zhang¹, Zhengyun Liang¹, Qian Shen¹, Yuqian Luan¹, Rong Xing², Zhenghao Fei³, Yukou Du⁴

Affiliations

¹ College of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Yancheng Teachers University, Yancheng 224007, China.
² College of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Yancheng Teachers University, Yancheng 224007, China. Electronic address: xingrr@126.com.
³ College of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Yancheng Teachers University, Yancheng 224007, China. Electronic address: feizhenghao@163.com.
⁴ College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China. Electronic address: duyk@suda.edu.cn.

PMID: 34785457
DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2021.10.054

Abstract

Electro-oxidation of glycerol is a key anodic reaction in direct alcohol fuel cell (DAFCs). Exploring the cost-effective nanocatalysts for glycerol oxidation reaction (GOR) is very important for the development of DAFC, but it is still challenging. In this paper, nanofirework-like PtRu alloy catalyst was successfully synthesized and used for GOR in alkaline medium. Thanks to the unique nanofirework-like structure and synergetic effects, the activity and stability of the as-prepared PtRu alloy nanofireworks (NFs) toward GOR were significantly improved relative to Pt NFs. In particular, the peak current density of GOR catalyzed by the optimized Pt₁Ru₃ NFs catalyst reached 2412.0 mA mg^-1, surpassing that of commercial Pt/C catalyst. This work has important guidance for the design of advanced anode electrocatalysts for fuel cells.

Keywords: Alkaline medium; Electrocatalysis; Fuel cells; Glycerol oxidation; PtRu.

MeSH terms

Alloys*
Catalysis
Glycerol*
Oxidation-Reduction
Platinum

Substances

Alloys
Platinum
Glycerol