Effects of additives on palladium nanocrystals supported on multiwalled carbon nanotubes and their electrocatalytic properties toward formic acid oxidation

Carbon nanotubes are believed to be powerful materials for constructing novel hybrid composites with desirable functionalities and applications in many fields. Therefore, a better understanding of the functionalization of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) holds the key to a better performance of the hybrid properties. In this paper, with a series of aromatic bifunctional molecule additives, modified MWCNTs were used as composite supports for synthesizing nanostructured palladium catalysts for formic acid oxidation. The additives contain anthranilic acid, o-phenylenediamine, salicylic acid, catechol, and phthalic acid. The influence of the different bifunctional groups (such as –NH2, –OH, –COOH, and their mixed groups) on the morphologies, particle sizes, and electrical properties of Pd nanocrystals was intensively studied. Transmission electron microscopy measurement demonstrates that the palladium nanoparticles were well dispersed on the surface of MWCNTs with a relatively narrow particle size distribution in the presence of the additives. Cyclic voltammetry and chronoamperometry tests demonstrate that the functional groups of the additives play an important role in electrocatalytic activity and stability for formic acid oxidation, and the influence law of various functional groups on electrocatalytic activity and stability is also investigated in this paper. We hope it can provide certain theoretical guidance meaning and practical reference value in future studies.