Enhanced electrocatalytic performance of palladium nanoparticles with high energy surfaces in formic acid oxidation

Anna Klinkova, Phil De Luna, Edward H. Sargent, Eugenia Kumacheva, Pavel V. Cherepanov

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleResearchpeer-review

62 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Direct formic acid fuel cells hold great potential for utilizing formic acid as an energy source via formic acid oxidation (FAO). We report a new anodic material composed of branched Pd nanoparticles (BNPs) with enhanced performance for the electrocatalytic FAO reaction. The results of computational studies indicate that the surface morphology of the nanoparticles favours the binding of FAO intermediates while allowing for field-induced reagent concentration (FIRC) at sharp tips leading to amplified catalytic activity and improved stability. Our findings highlight the importance of morphological control of high-energy surfaces for effective fuel cell anodes.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)11582-11585
Number of pages4
JournalJournal of Materials Chemistry A
Volume5
Issue number23
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 21 Jun 2017
Externally publishedYes

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