Pd-Supported Co3O4/C Catalysts as Promising Electrocatalytic Materials for Oxygen Reduction Reaction
Virginija Kepenienė, Raminta Stagniūnaitė, Sidra Rafique, Jūrate Vaičiūnienė, Vitalija Jasulaitienė, Vidas Pakštas, Zita Sukackienė, Rasa Vilkauskaitė, Loreta Tamašauskaitė–Tamašiūnaitė, Eugenijus Norkus
Abstract
This paper describes the activity of PdCo3O4/C obtained by wet impregnation towards the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). For this purpose, the Co3O4/C substrate was synthesized using the microwave irradiation heating method with further annealing of the substrate at 400 °C for 3 h (Co3O4/C-T). Then, the initial Co3O4/C substrate was impregnated with palladium chloride (Pd-Cl2-Co3O4/C), and then part of the obtained Pd-Cl2-Co3O4/C catalyst was annealed at 400 °C for 3 h (PdOCo3O4/C). The electrocatalytic activity of the prepared catalysts was investigated for the oxygen reduction reaction in alkaline media and compared with the commercial Pt/C (Tanaka wt. 46.6% Pt) catalyst. It was found that the annealed PdOCo3O4/C catalyst showed the largest ORR current density value of −11.27 mA cm−2 compared with Pd-Cl2-Co3O4/C (−7.39 mA cm−2) and commercial Pt/C (−5.25 mA cm−2).