Cobalt Single Atoms Enhance Ethanol Electrooxidation on Pt/CeO₂

Area of Science:

• Electrochemistry
• Materials Science
• Catalysis

Background:

• Commercialization of direct ethanol fuel cells (DEFCs) is hindered by the lack of efficient electrocatalysts for ethanol oxidation reaction (EOR).
• Existing catalysts suffer from low activity, poor durability, and susceptibility to CO poisoning, limiting their practical application.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop an enhanced electrocatalyst for EOR with improved activity, durability, and resistance to CO poisoning.
• To modulate the electronic structure of platinum (Pt) using cobalt, nitrogen-co-doped porous carbon (CoNPC) and nanostructured ceria (nCeO2) for superior catalytic performance.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a novel Pt/nCeO2@CoNPC catalyst by incorporating CoNPC and nCeO2 with Pt.
• Characterization of the catalyst's electronic structure and its interaction with reaction intermediates.
• Evaluation of the catalyst's performance in the ethanol oxidation reaction (EOR), including activity, durability, and CO poisoning resistance.

Main Results:

• The Pt/nCeO2@CoNPC catalyst demonstrated synergistic electronic effects from Co single atoms and nCeO2, tuning Pt's binding affinity for EOR intermediates.
• Enhanced oxidative removal of CO species was observed due to the presence of nCeO2.
• The catalyst exhibited remarkable resistance to CO poisoning, retaining 73% of its initial performance after 500 cycles, and achieved a high mass activity of 1591 mA mgPt-1.

Conclusions:

• The developed Pt/nCeO2@CoNPC catalyst offers a promising solution for efficient and durable ethanol oxidation in DEFCs.
• The strategy of electronic structure modulation via CoNPC and nCeO2 incorporation effectively enhances catalyst performance and CO tolerance.