TY - JOUR
T1 - Nanocatalysts impregnated polythiophene electrodes for the electrooxidation of formic acid
AU - Selvaraj, V.
AU - Alagar, M.
AU - Hamerton, I.
PY - 2007/4/24
Y1 - 2007/4/24
N2 - Conductive and porous polythiophene (PTh) films, which are used as host matrixes for Pt and Pt-Pd nanoparticles, are synthesized electrochemically. PTh films containing nanometer-sized Pt and Pt-Pd bimetallic particles are electro synthesized on an indium doped tin oxide (ITO) plate by voltammetric cycling between -0.2 and +1.4 V (versus Ag/AgCl/3 M NaCl). The ensuing PTh electrode, modified with nanoparticles, was probed for its catalytic activity towards the electrooxidation of formic acid, an industrially important material. The modified electrode exhibits significant eletrocatalytic activity towards the oxidation of formic acid and this may be attributed to (a) the uniform dispersion of nanoparticles in the PTh film and (b) the efficacy of the nature of Pd species in Pt-Pd bimetallic systems. Monometallic (Pt) and bimetallic (Pt-Pd) nanoparticles are found to be uniformly dispersed in PTh matrixes as confirmed from analytical data using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDAX) is used to characterize the composition of metal present in the nanoparticles modified electrodes.
AB - Conductive and porous polythiophene (PTh) films, which are used as host matrixes for Pt and Pt-Pd nanoparticles, are synthesized electrochemically. PTh films containing nanometer-sized Pt and Pt-Pd bimetallic particles are electro synthesized on an indium doped tin oxide (ITO) plate by voltammetric cycling between -0.2 and +1.4 V (versus Ag/AgCl/3 M NaCl). The ensuing PTh electrode, modified with nanoparticles, was probed for its catalytic activity towards the electrooxidation of formic acid, an industrially important material. The modified electrode exhibits significant eletrocatalytic activity towards the oxidation of formic acid and this may be attributed to (a) the uniform dispersion of nanoparticles in the PTh film and (b) the efficacy of the nature of Pd species in Pt-Pd bimetallic systems. Monometallic (Pt) and bimetallic (Pt-Pd) nanoparticles are found to be uniformly dispersed in PTh matrixes as confirmed from analytical data using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDAX) is used to characterize the composition of metal present in the nanoparticles modified electrodes.
KW - bimetallic nanoparticles
KW - Electrocatalytic oxidation
KW - Formic acid oxidation
KW - Fuel cells
KW - Platinum nanoparticles
KW - Polythiophene
KW - Pt-Pd
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=33947602406&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.apcatb.2006.07.020
DO - 10.1016/j.apcatb.2006.07.020
M3 - Article (Academic Journal)
AN - SCOPUS:33947602406
VL - 73
SP - 172
EP - 179
JO - Applied Catalysis B: Environmental
JF - Applied Catalysis B: Environmental
SN - 0926-3373
IS - 1-2
ER -