Influence of the Support and SnO2 Content on the Electrocatalytic Properties of PdSn/C Electrocatalysts for EOR in Alkaline Medium

An in-house synthesized activated biocarbon (aBC) and commercial Vulcan carbon (V) were studied as PdSn catalyst supports for the ethanol oxidation reaction (EOR) in an alkaline medium. The results obtained showed that the PdSn/V electrocatalyst presented much higher catalytic performance than the PdSn/aBC. These results can be associated with the fact that the catalyst particles in the PdSn/V electrocatalyst presented a higher SnO2 concentration compared to PdSn/aBC. The presence of SnO2 has an electronic effect that accelerates the adsorption of ethanol on the surface of Pd, thus enhancing the ethanol oxidation kinetics and contributing to a significant improvement in the PdSn/V catalytic activity. However, no significant differences were observed in the EOR mechanism.