Interfacial Electronic Interactions within the Pd-CeO
2/Carbon Onions Define the Efficient Electrocatalytic Ethanol Oxidation Reaction in Alkaline Electrolytes.
ACS OMEGA 2024;
9:7439-7451. [PMID:
38405481 PMCID:
PMC10882676 DOI:
10.1021/acsomega.3c04427]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2023] [Revised: 09/24/2023] [Accepted: 09/27/2023] [Indexed: 02/27/2024]
Abstract
Porous Pd-based electrocatalysts are promising materials for alkaline direct ethanol fuel cells (ADEFCs) and ethanol sensors in the development of renewable energy and point-of-contact ethanol sensor test kits for drunk drivers. However, experimental and theoretical investigations of the interfacial interaction among Pd nanocrystals on supports (i.e., carbon black (CB), onion-like carbon (OLC), and CeO2/OLC) toward ADEFC and ethanol sensors are not yet reported. This is based on the preparation of Pd-CeO2/OLC nanocrystals by the sol-gel and impregnation methods. Evidently, the porous Pd-CeO2/OLC significantly increased membrane-free micro-3D-printed ADEFC performance with a high peak power density (Pmax = 27.15 mW cm-2) that is 1.38- and 7.58-times those of Pd/OLC (19.72 mW cm-2) and Pd/CB (3.59 mW cm-2), besides its excellent stability for 48 h. This is due to the excellent interfacial interaction among Pd, CeO2, and OLC, evidenced by density functional theory (DFT) simulations that showed a modulated Pd d-band center and facile active oxygenated species formation by the CeO2 needed for ethanol fuel cells. Similarly, Pd-CeO2/OLC gives excellent sensitivity (0.00024 mA mM-1) and limit of detection (LoD = 8.7 mM) for ethanol sensing and satisfactory recoveries (89-108%) in commercial alcoholic beverages (i.e., human serum, Amstel beer, and Nederberg Wine). This study shows the excellent possibility of utilizing Pd-CeO2/OLC for future applications in fuel cells and alcohol sensors.
Collapse