Boron-doped palladium nanoparticles on carbon black as a superior catalyst for formic acid electro-oxidation

Abstract

Highly dispersed boron-doped palladium nanoparticles supported on carbon black (Pd-B/C) with high Pd loading (ca. 40 wt % Pd) are synthesized through an aqueous process using dimethylamine borane as the reducing agent. The as-prepared Pd-B/C catalyst shows extraordinary activity toward formic acid electrooxidation compared to that of a commercially available Pd/C catalyst and the one prepared by using NaBH4 as the reductant. Subsequent thermal treatment further enhances the durability of the electro-oxidation current on Pd-B/C, enabling this new material to be a promising anode catalyst for direct formic acid fuel cells. The superior performance of our Pd-B/C catalyst may arise from uniformly dispersed nanoparticles within optimal size ranges, the increase in surface-active sites, and the electronic modification effect of boron species. © 2009 American Chemical Society.