Development of catalysts based on Pd dispersed in carbon powder for ethanol oxidation in alkaline medium

• Grant number: 10/03072-4
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: July 01, 2010
• End date: June 30, 2011
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Chemistry - Physical-Chemistry
• Principal Investigator: Sergio Antonio Spinola Machado
• Grantee: Pollyana Ferreira da Silva Vianna
• Host Institution: Instituto de Química de São Carlos (IQSC). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Carlos , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The development and characterization of the electrochemical behavior of carbon dispersed Pd electrocatalysts (bare and modified with Ni, Co or CeO2) will be studied for the ethanol electrooxidation in alkaline medium. The electrocatalysts will be obtained by the surface modification of high area carbon powder (Vulcan XC-72 or Vulcan XC-72R) with the corresponding elements by the sol-gel methodology, which has been used successfully in the GMEME for preparation of similar composites. Eventually other preparation techniques may be used. The obtained new materials will be characterized by X-ray diffraction, Energy Dispersive X-ray analysis and transmission microscopy. The electrochemical performance of such electrocatalysts will be evaluated in a comparative way by cyclic voltammetry, polarization in steady-state regime, chronoamperometry and by the identification of the reaction products with on-line techniques as HPLC, TOC and ions chromatography. (AU)