The study of the pyrolysis products of Ni (II) and Pd (II) chelate complexes as catalysts for the oxygen electroreduction reaction

Exploring the Potential of Heteroatom-Doped Graphene Nanoribbons as a Catalyst for Oxygen Reduction

In this study, we created a series of N, S, and P-doped and co-doped carbon catalysts using a single graphene nanoribbon (GNR) matrix and thoroughly evaluated the impact of doping on ORR activity and selectivity in acidic, neutral, and alkaline conditions. The results obtained showed no significant changes in the GNR structure after the doping process, though changes were observed in the surface chemistry in view of the heteroatom insertion and oxygen depletion. Of all the dopants investigated, nitrogen (mainly in the form of pyrrolic-N and graphitic-N) was the most easily inserted and detected in the carbon matrix. The electrochemical analyses conducted showed that doping impacted the performance of the catalyst in ORR through changes in the chemical composition of the catalyst, as well as in the double-layer capacitance and electrochemically accessible surface area. In terms of selectivity, GNR doped with phosphorus and sulfur favored the 2e- ORR pathway, while nitrogen favored the 4e- ORR pathway. These findings can provide useful insights into the design of more efficient and versatile catalytic materials for ORR in different electrolyte solutions, based on functionalized carbon.

Neto A. cis-[6-(Pyridin-2-yl)-1,3,5-triazine-2,4-diamine](dichloride) Palladium(II)-Based Electrolyte Membrane Reactors for Partial Oxidation Methane to Methanol

Methane is an abundant resource and the main constituent of natural gas. It can be converted into higher value-added products and as a subproduct of electricity co-generation. The application of polymer electrolyte reactors for the partial oxidation of methane to methanol to co-generate power and chemical products is a topic of great interest for gas and petroleum industries, especially with the use of materials with a lower amount of metals, such as palladium complex. In this study, we investigate the ideal relationship between cis-[6-(pyridin-2-yl)-1,3,5-triazine-2,4-diamine(dichloride)palladium(II)] (Pd-complex) nanostructure and carbon to obtain a stable, conductive, and functional reagent diffusion electrode. The physical and structural properties of the material were analyzed by Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) and Raman spectroscopies, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) techniques. The electrocatalytic activity studies revealed that the most active proportion was 20% of Pd-complex supported on carbon (m/m), which was measured with lower values of open-circuit and power density but with higher efficiency in methanol production with reaction rates of r = 4.2 mol L^-1·h^-1 at 0.05 V.