Synthesis and characterization of a perylene derivative and its application as catalyst for ethanol electro-oxidation

Direct ethanol fuel cells (DEFCs) are considered a viable alternative power source for both stationary and mobile applications. Obstacles to widespread use of DEFCs include the slow electro-oxidation kinetics of ethanol, which has been countered by employing combinations of noble metals and organic compounds as catalysts, e.g., a platinum alloy and perylene-3,4:9,10-tetracarboxylic acid derivatives (PDIs). This study investigates the performance of a PDI functionalized with 4-amino pyridine (PDI1) and subsequently dispersed in Pt/C (Pt/C/PDI1) and PtSn/C (PtSn/C/PDI1). The performance of these catalysts in ethanol electro-oxidation (EOR) was compared to that of metallic catalysts (PtSn/C and Pt/C). The forward potential scan indicated that the peak current densities (j) on the catalysts Pt/C/PDI1 and PtSn/C/PDI1 were similar to 1.7 and similar to 1.3-fold that of Pt/C and similar to 1.8 and similar to 1.4-fold that of PtSn/C. Concerning ethanol oxidation, this indicates that Pt/C/PDI1 and PtSn/C/PDI1 exhibit better catalytic activity in EOR than Pt/C and PtSn/C do.