Nitrogen-doped carbon black supported Pd nanoparticles as an effective catalyst for formic acid electro-oxidation reaction

Pd nanoparticles supported on nitrogen doped carbon black (Vulcan XC-72R) with two different levels of doping were prepared by the microwave-assisted ethylene glycol reduction process and used as catalyst for the formic acid electro-oxidation (FAEO). The results indicate that the different nitrogen doping contents in Pd/N-C catalysts have a significant effect on the performance of FAEO. A higher N content facilitates the uniform dispersion of Pd nanoparticles on carbon black with narrow particle size distribution. Furthermore, the electrochemical results show that the catalyst with a higher N-doping content possesses a higher catalytic activity and a long-term stability for FAEO. The peak current density of the Pd/N-C (high) catalyst is 1.27 and 2.31 times that of the Pd/N-C (low) and homemade Pd/C-H catalyst. The present paper may provide a simple method for preparation of high-performance anode catalyst for direct formic acid fuel cells (DFAFCs).