Defect engineering boosts CC bond cleavage for highly efficient ethylene glycol electrooxidation on Pd₂Pb₃Zn₄...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry
• Catalysis

Background:

• Optimizing palladium-based materials is key for efficient electro-oxidation of liquid fuels in fuel cells.
• Sluggish kinetics and complex oxidation processes remain significant challenges for current catalysts.

Purpose of the Study:

• To fabricate a defect-rich Pd2Pb3Zn4 intermetallic compound with a nanonetwork structure.
• To evaluate its electrocatalytic performance for ethylene glycol oxidation reaction (EGOR) in alkaline media.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis of defect-rich Pd2Pb3Zn4 (D-Pd2Pb3Zn4) intermetallic compound via a nanonetwork structure.
• Characterization of the catalyst's structure, electronic properties, and active sites.
• Electrochemical evaluation of EGOR activity, durability, and selectivity using techniques like in-situ FTIR.

Main Results:

• The D-Pd2Pb3Zn4/C catalyst exhibited a mass activity of 11.9 A mgPd−1 for EGOR, significantly higher than Pd2Pb3Zn4/C and Pd/C.
• Enhanced mass transfer, reduced activation energy, improved conductivity, and better CO poisoning resistance were observed.
• In-situ FTIR confirmed enhanced selectivity towards C1 products (42.7%), indicating superior C-C bond cleavage ability.

Conclusions:

• The defect-rich D-Pd2Pb3Zn4 intermetallic compound offers a promising strategy for developing advanced electrocatalysts.
• This catalyst demonstrates remarkable activity and durability for EGOR, crucial for fuel cell applications.
• The study provides insights into optimizing EGOR via the C1 pathway through tailored material design.