Web Release Date: November 1,
Controllable Synthesis of Pd Nanocatalysts for Direct Formic Acid Fuel Cell (DFAFC) Application: From Pd Hollow Nanospheres to Pd Nanoparticles
State Key Laboratory of Electroanalytical Chemistry, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 5625 Renmin Street, Changchun 130022, PR China
Received: May 14, 2007
In Final Form: July 9, 2007
Abstract:
The controllable synthesis of nanosized carbon-supported Pd catalysts through a surface replacement reaction
(SRR) method is reported in this paper. Depending on the synthesis conditions the Pd can be formed on Co
nanoparticles surface in hollow nanospheres or nanoparticles structures. Citrate anion acts as a stabilizer for
the nanostructures, and protonation of the third carboxyl anion and hence the nanostructure and size of the
resulting catalysts are controlled via the pH of the synthesis solution. Pd hollow nanospheres, containing
smaller Pd nanoparticles, supported on carbon are formed under the condition of pH 9 reaction solution.
Meanwhile, highly dispersed carbon-supported Pd nanoparticles can be formed with higher pH (pH 
10).
All catalysts prepared through the SRR method show enhanced activities for the HCOOH electro-oxidation
reaction compared to catalysts reduced by NaBH4.
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