Glycerol oxidation reactions were evaluated using PdAu/C electrocatalysts under alkaline conditions. These electrocatalysts were synthesized in different ratios (100:0, 75:25, 50:50, 25:75, and 0:100), using the borohydride reduction method. The materials were characterized with X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and electrochemical techniques associated by in situ attenuated total reflectance Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR). According to the XRD diffractograms, the presence of Pd and Au (face-centered cubic (fcc)) phases and Pd-Au (fcc) alloys were detected. Cyclic voltammetry assisted by ATR-FTIR in situ and chronoamperometry experiments revealed that the addition of Au remarkably enhances the electrocatalytic activity, due to the action of bifunctional effect, with addition of the interactions of alcohoxide with hydroxylate species in gold surface, and the stability of Pd/C catalysts. Highest current density (≈4 mA mg metal −1 ) was achieved for the catalyst Pd 50 Au 50 /C and Pd 75 Au 25 /C, which is two times higher than that achieved by Pd/C (2 mA mg metal −1), demonstrating the beneficial effect of the PdAu alloy.
PdAu/C electrocatalysts in different atomic ratios (90:10, 80:20, 70:30, and 50:50) supported on Vulcan XC72 carbon were evaluated toward formate oxidation in alkaline media. The materials were prepared by the borohydride process. X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns of PdAu materials showed peak characteristic of Pd and Au face-centered-cubic (fcc) structures while transmission electron micrographs (TEM) showed the nanoparticles with particle size between 4 and 10 nm for all electrocatalysts. Experiments considering single cell suggested the PdAu/C (90:10) and PdAu/C (80:20) as promisors for formate oxidation. The best result obtained was attributed to the presence of Au in small quantities that contributes to the formate adsorption.
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