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Improving Glycerol Electrooxidation Performance on Nanocubic PtCo Catalysts.
Irina Terekhina1, Mats Johnsson1
1Department of Materials and Environmental Chemistry, Arrhenius Laboratory, Stockholm University, Stockholm SE-106 91, Sweden.
ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces
|October 14, 2024
Summary
Noble metal catalysts, particularly platinum-cobalt nanoparticles, show high selectivity for converting glycerol into valuable C3 products via electrooxidation. Optimized Pt60Co40 catalysts demonstrated superior performance in alkaline media.
Area of Science:
- Electrochemistry
- Catalysis
- Green Chemistry
Background:
- Glycerol (GLY) is a cheap platform molecule and biodiesel byproduct.
- Glycerol electrooxidation (GEOR) is a promising conversion method.
- Noble metal catalysts, like platinum (Pt), are stable and selective for C3 products.
Purpose of the Study:
- Investigate cubic Pt-Co nanoparticles for GEOR.
- Optimize catalyst composition and reaction conditions.
- Enhance selectivity towards C3 products like lactate and glycerate.
Main Methods:
- Synthesized cubic Pt-Co nanoparticles (Pt100Co0, Pt80Co20, Pt60Co40).
- Evaluated catalysts in alkaline medium at 20 and 40 °C.
- Analyzed product selectivity and reaction mechanism at different potentials (0.67 V and 0.87 V vs RHE).
Main Results:
- Pt60Co40 exhibited superior overall performance (activity, conversion, selectivity).
- All catalysts achieved high C3 product selectivity (up to 95%) at 0.67 V vs RHE.
- Lactate formation favored at 0.67 V/40 °C (72% selectivity); glycerate and C-C cleavage favored at 0.87 V.
Conclusions:
- Tuning Pt-Co composition and reaction conditions significantly impacts GEOR selectivity.
- Pt-Co alloys are effective catalysts for producing C3 chemicals from glycerol.
- Optimized catalysts offer a sustainable route for valorizing glycerol.
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