Hydrogen evolution reaction and formic acid oxidation by decorated nanostructural Pt/Pd on a copper-filled nanoporous stainless steel

Theoretical study of the oxidation of formic acid on a PtPd(111) surface

By performing density functional theory calculations, the adsorption configurations of formic acid and possible reaction pathway for HCOOH oxidation on PtPd(111) surface are located. Results show that CO2 is preferentially formed as the main product of the catalytic oxidation of formic acid. The formation of CO on the pure Pd surface could not possibly occur during formic acid decomposition on the PtPd(111) surface owing to the high reaction barrier. Therefore, no poisoning of catalyst would occur on the PtPd(111) surface. Our results indicate that the significantly increased catalytic activity of bimetallic PtPd catalyst towards HCOOH oxidation should be attributed to the reduction in poisoning by CO.

Electrodeposited Pd/graphene/ZnO/nickel foam electrode for the hydrogen evolution reaction

Efficient electrocatalysts are crucial to water splitting for renewable energy generation. In this work, electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution from Pd nanoparticle-modified graphene nanosheets loaded on ZnO nanowires on nickel foam was studied in an alkaline electrolyte. The high electron mobility stems from the cylindrical ZnO nanowires and the rough surface on the graphene/ZnO nanowires increases the specific surface area and electrical conductivity. The catalytic activity arising from adsorption and desorption of intermediate hydrogen atoms by Pd nanoparticles improves the hydrogen evolution reaction efficiency. As a hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) catalyst, the Pd/graphene/ZnO/Ni foam (Pd/G/ZnO/NF) nanocomposite exhibits good stability and superior electrocatalytic activity. Linear sweep voltammetry (LSV) revealed an overpotential of −31 mV and Tafel slope of 46.5 mV dec⁻¹ in 1 M KOH. The economical, high-performance, and environmentally friendly materials have excellent prospects in hydrogen storage and hydrogen production.

Efficient electrocatalysts are crucial to water splitting for renewable energy generation.