Robust poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) granules loaded Cu/Ni-doped Pd catalysts for high-efficiency electrooxidation of ethylene glycol

Abstract

In our work, poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) granules supported Cu/Ni-doped Pd electrocatalysts (PdCu/PEDOT and PdNi/PEDOT) were synthesized for ethylene glycol (EG) oxidation in alkaline medium. The amorphous PEDOT granules as the catalyst supports provide plenty of attachment sites for PdCu and PdNi nanoparticles. The optimized Pd₁Cu₃/PEDOT and Pd₇Ni₃/PEDOT catalysts both perform superior mass-based activity, area-based activity and intrinsic activity for EG oxidation as compared to other control samples. Moreover, chronoamperometry and long-term cyclic voltammetry tests demonstrate that the Pd₁Cu₃/PEDOT catalyst performs optimal anti-poisoning capability and catalytic durability. The outstanding electrocatalytic performance can be attributed to the favourable dispersion of Pd₁Cu₃ and Pd₇Ni₃ nanoparticles on the PEDOT granules and the synergistic effects between Pd, Cu/Ni atoms and the electron-rich conjugated structure of PEDOT. In summary, this work synthesized two Pd/PEDOT-based electrocatalysts with promising catalytic application prospect in direct ethylene glycol fuel cell (DEGFC), which may provide some theoretical support for the design and synthesis of competent electrocatalysts for DEGFC.

Keywords: Cu/Ni doping; Electrocatalytic oxidation; Ethylene glycol; PEDOT; Pd nanoparticles.