Direct oxidation of sodium borohydride on Pt, Ag and alloyed Pt–Ag electrodes in basic media. Part I: Bulk electrodes

We studied the borohydride oxidation reaction (BOR) by voltammetry for BH₄⁻ concentrations between 10⁻³ M and 0.1 M NaBH₄ in 0.1–1 M NaOH for bulk polycrystalline Pt, Ag and alloyed Pt–Ag electrocatalysts. In order to compare the different electrocatalysts, we measured the kinetic parameters and the number of electrons exchanged (faradic efficiency). BOR on bulk Pt is more efficient when the concentration of NaBH₄ increases (3e⁻ in 1 mM and 6e⁻ in 10 mM BH₄⁻/0.1 M NaOH). BOR on Pt can occur both in a direct pathway and in an indirect pathway including hydrogen generation via heterogeneous hydrolysis of BH₄⁻ and subsequent oxidation of its by-products (e.g. BH₃OH⁻ and H₂). BOR on Ag strongly depends on the pH: improved faradic efficiency is monitored for high pH (2e⁻ at pH 12.6 and 6e⁻ at pH 13.9 at 25 °C). The BOR kinetics is faster for Pt than for Ag (i_Pt=0.02 A cm⁻², i_Ag=1.4 10⁻⁷ A cm⁻² at E=−0.65 V vs. NHE in 1 mM NaBH₄/0.1 M NaOH, 25 °C) both as a result from Pt high activity regarding the BH₄⁻ heterogeneous hydrolysis and subsequent HOR, above −0.83 V vs. NHE and following direct oxidation of BH₄⁻ or BH₃OH⁻ below −0.83 V vs. NHE. Both Pt–Ag bulk alloys show unique behaviour: the number of electrons exchanged is rather high whatever the BH₄⁻ concentration and pH, while the kinetic parameters are quite similar to that of platinum, showing possible synergistic alloying effect.     

Phosphate adsorption and its effect on oxygen reduction reaction for PtxCoy alloy and Aucore–Ptshell electrocatalysts

The phosphate adsorption characteristics and its effect on oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) were examined for various carbon-supported catalysts (Pt/C, Pt₃Co/C, PtCo/C, and Au_core–Pt_shell/C). Using cyclic voltammetry (CV) and the addition of phosphoric acid, the degree of phosphate adsorption for each catalyst was evaluated based on the intensity of the phosphate adsorption peaks (0.25–0.3 V and 0.5–0.65 V) and on the decrease in the platinum oxidation current (0.9 V). In the N₂O reduction technique, the surface structures were analyzed using N₂O as an electrochemical probe, which showed that as the Co content increased, (i) steps or defects were introduced by surface reconstruction, (ii) the phosphate adsorbed more strongly compared to Pt/C with a preference for the terrace sites, and (iii) the potential of zero total charge (PZTC) shifted to negative potentials. In the case of the Au_core–Pt_shell/C, the phosphate adsorption was found to be weaker than other catalysts, including Pt/C catalyst. The relative ORR activity with PA addition, normalized by that with no phosphate adsorption, was significantly smaller for Co containing alloy catalysts (PtCo/C: 18.2%) and larger for Au_core–Pt_shell (30.2%) compared with the Pt/C catalyst (27.8%), confirming the phosphate adsorption characteristics of each catalyst, as measured by CV and N₂O reduction analysis.     

Exfoliated graphene-supported Pt and Pt-based alloys as electrocatalysts for direct methanol fuel cells

To greatly improve the electrocatalytic activity for methanol oxidation, high-quality exfoliated graphene decorated with uniform Pt nanocrystals (NCs) (3 nm) have been prepared by a very simple, low-cost and environmentally benign process. During the entire process, no surfactant and no halide ions were involved, which not only enabled very clean surface of Pt/graphene leading to excellent conductivity, but also greatly improved the electrocatalyst tolerance to carbon monoxide poisoning (Pt/graphene, I_f/I_b = 1.197), compared to commercial Pt/C (I_f/I_b = 0.893) catalysts. To maximize the electrocatalytic performance and minimize the amount of precious Pt, Pt–M/graphene (M = Pd, Co) hybrids have also been prepared, and these hybrids have much larger electrochemically active surface areas (ECSA), which are 4 (PtPd/graphene) and 3.3 (PtCo/graphene) times those of commercial Pt/C. The PtPd/graphene and PtCo/graphene hybrids also have remarkably increased activity toward methanol oxidation (I_f/I_b = 1.218 and 1.558). Furthermore, density functional theory (DFT) simulations demonstrate that an electronic interaction occurred between Pt atoms and graphene, indicating that graphene substrate plays a crucial role in regulating the electron structure of attached Pt atom, which confirmed that the increased efficiency of methanol oxidation was due to the synergetic effects of the hybrid structure.     

Aqueous-phase reforming of ethylene glycol over supported Pt and Pd bimetallic catalysts

More than 130 Pt and Pd bimetallic catalysts were screened for hydrogen production by aqueous-phase reforming (APR) of ethylene glycol solutions using a high-throughput reactor. Promising catalysts were characterized by CO chemisorption and tested further in a fixed bed reactor. Bimetallic PtNi, PtCo, PtFe and PdFe catalysts were significantly more active per gram of catalyst and had higher turnover frequencies for hydrogen production (TOF_H2) than monometallic Pt and Pd catalysts. The PtNi/Al₂O₃ and PtCo/Al₂O₃ catalysts, with Pt to Co or Ni atomic ratios ranging from 1:1 to 1:9, had TOF_H2 values (based on CO chemisorption uptake) equal to 2.8–5.2 min⁻¹ at 483 K for APR of ethylene glycol solutions, compared to 1.9 min⁻¹ for Pt/Al₂O₃ under similar reaction conditions. A Pt₁Fe₉/Al₂O₃ catalyst showed TOF_H2 values of 0.3–4.3 min⁻¹ at 453–483 K, about three times higher than Pt/Al₂O₃ under identical reaction conditions. A Pd₁Fe₉/Al₂O₃ catalyst had values of TOF_H2 equal to 1.4 and 4.3 min⁻¹ at temperatures of 453 and 483 K, respectively, and these values are 39–46 times higher than Pd/Al₂O₃ at the same reaction conditions. Catalysts consisting of Pd supported on high surface area Fe₂O₃ (Nanocat) showed the highest turnover frequencies for H₂ production among those catalysts tested, with values of TOF_H2 equal to 14.6, 39.1 and 60.1 min⁻¹ at temperatures of 453, 483 and 498 K, respectively. These results suggest that the activity of Pt-based catalysts for APR can be increased by alloying Pt with a metal (Ni or Co) that decreases the strengths with which CO and hydrogen interact with the surface (because these species inhibit the reaction), thereby increasing the fraction of catalytic sites available for reaction with ethylene glycol. The activity of Pd-based catalysts for APR can be increased by adding a water-gas shift promoter (e.g. Fe₂O₃).     

Preparation and characteristics of pretreated Pt/alumina catalysts for the preferential oxidation of carbon monoxide

The polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) needs purified hydrogen fuel from hydrocarbon reforming and water-gas shift (WGS) reaction. Concentration of CO should be 10 ppm level to avoid poisoning of the platinum anode electrode. For this, preferential oxidation of carbon monoxide (PROX) reaction is essential. In this study, a novel pretreatment technique was applied to a conventional Pt/γ-Al₂O₃ catalyst. Oxygen-treated, water-treated, and conventional Pt/γ-Al₂O₃ catalyst were prepared and their performances in the PROX reaction were investigated in a simulated hydrogen-rich reaction conditions. Our results showed that catalytic activity of the oxygen-treated 5% Pt/γ-Al₂O₃ catalyst for the CO conversion increased dramatically especially at the low temperature below 100 °C. The enhancement is attributed to the formation of well-dispersed small Pt particles.     

Further insights into the durability of Pt3Co/C electrocatalysts: Formation of “hollow” Pt nanoparticles induced by the Kirkendall effect

This paper provides further insights into the degradation mechanisms of nanometer-sized Pt₃Co/C particles under various proton-exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) operating conditions. We confirm that Co atoms are continuously depleted from the mother Pt₃Co/C electrocatalyst because they can diffuse from the bulk to the surface of the material. The structure of the Pt–Co/C nanoparticles in the long-term is determined by a balance between Co surface segregation and formation of oxygenated species from water splitting. When the PEMFC is operated at high current density (low cathode potential, below the onset of surface oxide formation from water), a steady-state is reached between the rate of Co dissolution at the surface and Co surface segregation. Consequently, Co and Pt atoms remain homogeneously distributed within the Pt–Co/C particles and the thickness of the Pt-shell is maintained to a small value not detectable by atomic-resolution high-angle annular dark-field scanning transmission electron microscopy. When the PEMFC is operated at low current density (high cathode potential), the formation of surface oxides from water and the resulting “place-exchange” mechanism enhance the rate of diffusion of Co atoms to the surface. Consequently, the fresh Pt₃Co/C particles form core/shell particles with thick Pt-shells and Co content < 5 at% and, ultimately, “hollow” Pt nanoparticles (Kirkendall effect). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on the formation of “hollow” Pt particles in a PEMFC.     

Direct synthesis of graphitic carbon nanostructures from saccharides and their use as electrocatalytic supports

An easy method is described for fabricating graphitic carbon nanostructures (GCNs) from a variety of saccharides; i.e., a monosaccharide (glucose), a disaccharide (sucrose) and a polysaccharide (starch). The synthesis scheme consists of: (a) impregnation of saccharide with Ni or Fe nitrates, (b) heat treatment under inert atmosphere (N₂) up to 900 °C or 1000 °C and (c) oxidation in liquid phase to selectively recover the graphitic carbon. This procedure leads to GCNs with a variety of morphologies: nanopipes nanocoils and nanocapsules. Such GCNs have a high crystallinity, as shown by TEM/SAED, XRD and Raman analysis. The GCNs were used as supports for platinum nanoparticles, which were well dispersed (Mean Pt size  2–3 nm). Electrocatalysts thus prepared have electrocatalytic surface areas in the 70–95 m² g⁻¹ Pt range and exhibit high catalytic activities towards methanol electrooxidation.     

Partial oxidation of methane to synthesis gas over α-Al2O3-supported bimetallic Pt–Co catalysts

The partial oxidation of methane to synthesis gas was studied at atmospheric pressure and in the temperature range of 550–800°C over -Al₂O₃-supported bimetallic Pt–Co, and monometallic Pt and Co catalysts, respectively. Both methane conversion and CO selectivity over a bimetallic Pt_0.5Co₁ catalyst were higher than those over monometallic Pt_0.5 and Co₁ catalysts. Furthermore, the addition of platinum in Pt–Co bimetallic catalysts effectively improved their resistance to carbon deposition with no coking occurring on Pt_0.5Co₁ during 80 h reaction. The FTIR study of CO adsorption observed only linearly bonded CO on bimetallic Pt–Co catalysts. TPR and XPS showed enhanced formation of a cobalt surface phase (CSP) in bimetallic Pt–Co catalysts. The origins of the good coking resistivity of bimetallic Pt–Co catalysts were discussed.     

Direct oxidation of sodium borohydride on Pt, Ag and alloyed Pt–Ag electrodes in basic media: Part II. Carbon-supported nanoparticles

We studied the borohydride oxidation reaction (BOR) by voltammetry in 0.1 M NaOH/10⁻³ M BH₄⁻ on carbon-supported Pt, Ag and alloyed PtAg nanoparticles (here-after denoted as Pt/C, Ag/C and Pt–Ag/C). In order to compare the different electrocatalysts, we measured the BOR kinetic parameters and the number of electrons exchanged per BH₄⁻ anion (faradaic efficiency). The BOR kinetics is much faster for Pt/C than for Ag/C (i_Pt=0.15, i_Ag=3.1×10⁻⁴ A cm⁻² at E=−0.65 V vs. NHE at 25 °C), but both materials present similar Tafel slope values. The n value involved in the BOR depends on the thickness of the active layer of electrocatalysts. For a “thick layer” (approximately 3 m), n is nearly 8 on Pt/C and 4 on Ag/C, whereas n decreases for thinner Pt/C active layers (n2 for thickness <1 m). These results are in favour of the sequential BH₄⁻ hydrolysis (yielding H₂) followed by hydrogen oxidation reaction (HOR), or direct sequential BOR on Pt/C, whereas Ag/C promotes direct but incomplete BOR (Ag has no activity regarding hydrogen evolution reaction, HER). The n value close to 8 for the thick Pt/C layer displays the sufficient residence time of the molecules formed (H₂ by heterogeneous hydrolysis or BOR intermediates) within the active layer, which favours the complete HOR and/or BOR. Two PtAg/C nanoparticles alloys have been tested (noted APVES-4C and APVES-E1). They show different behavior; the borohydride oxidation reaction kinetics is faster on APVES-E1 than on APVES-4C (b=0.15, and b=0.31 V dec⁻¹,  A cm⁻², respectively, at 25 °C), but the n values are higher on APVES-4C than APVES-E1 (nearly 8 vs. 3, respectively, at 25 °C). These discrepancies probably originate from the heterogeneity of such bimetallic materials, as observed from physicochemical characterizations.     

Application of high-energy X-rays and Pair-Distribution-Function analysis to nano-scale structural studies in catalysis

We investigate the structure of supported Pt catalysts using high-energy X-ray scattering coupled with Pair-Distribution-Function (PDF) analysis. Recently, experimental approaches that enable the collection of PDF data in situ have been developed with time-resolution sufficient to study the structure of Pt nano-particles as they form. The differential PDF approach is utilized which allows the atom–atom correlations involving only Pt to be selectively recovered, enabling structural investigation of the supported particles and the mechanism of their formation. In parallel to the in situ analysis, we have examined samples prepared ex situ. Data collected on the ex situ samples show that the initial deposition of Pt⁴⁺ occurs as the PtCl₆²⁻ species which are retained even when annealed in an oxygen atmosphere. The Pt differential PDFs of the samples reduced in hydrogen at 200 and 500 °C indicated nano-crystalline face-centered-cubic (fcc) metallic Pt particles. The ex situ reduced samples also contain a weak correlations at 2.1 Å, which we assign to Pt–O interactions between the particles and the support surface. The in situ experiments, following the reduction of Pt⁴⁺ from 0 to 227 °C, indicate that the initial Pt nano-particles formed are ca. 1 nm in size, and become larger and more crystalline by 200 °C. The data suggest a particle growth mechanism where the initial particles that form are small (<1 nm), then agglomerate into ensembles of many small particles and lastly anneal to form larger well-ordered particles. Lastly, we discus potential future developments in operando PDF studies, and identify opportunities for synchronous application of complementary methods.     

Support effect on the low-temperature hydrogenation of benzene over PtCo bimetallic and the corresponding monometallic catalysts

PtCo bimetallic and Co, Pt monometallic catalysts supported on γ-Al₂O₃, SiO₂, TiO₂ and activated carbon (AC) were prepared and evaluated for the hydrogenation of benzene at relatively low temperatures (343 K) and atmospheric pressure. Results from flow reactor studies showed that supports strongly affected the catalytic properties of different bimetallic catalysts. AC supported PtCo bimetallic catalysts exhibited significantly better performance than the other bimetallic catalysts, and all the bimetallic catalysts possessed higher activity than the corresponding monometallic catalysts. Results from CO chemisorption and H₂-temperature-programmed reduction (H₂-TPR) studies suggested that different catalysts possessed different properties in chemisorption capacity and reduction behavior, and AC supported PtCo catalysts possessed significantly higher CO chemisorption capacity compared to the other catalysts. Extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis provided additional information regarding the formation of Pt–Co bimetallic bonds and metallic particle size distribution in the PtCo bimetallic catalysts on different supports.     

Phenol methylation over nanoparticulate CoFe2O4 inverse spinel catalysts: The effect of morphology on catalytic performance

A series of CoFe₂O₄ nanoparticles have been prepared via co-precipitation and controlled thermal sintering, with tunable diameters spanning 7–50 nm. XRD confirms that the inverse spinel structure is adopted by all samples, while XPS shows their surface compositions depend on calcination temperature and associated particle size. Small (<20 nm) particles expose Fe³⁺ enriched surfaces, whereas larger (50 nm) particles formed at higher temperatures possess Co:Fe surface compositions close to the expected 1:2 bulk ratio. A model is proposed in which smaller crystallites expose predominately (1 1 1) facets, preferentially terminated in tetrahedral Fe³⁺ surface sites, while sintering favours (1 1 0) and (1 0 0) facets and Co:Fe surface compositions closer to the bulk inverse spinel phase. All materials were active towards the gas-phase methylation of phenol to o-cresol at temperatures as low as 300 °C. Under these conditions, materials calcined at 450 and 750 °C exhibit o-cresol selectivities of 90% and 80%, respectively. Increasing either particle size or reaction temperature promotes methanol decomposition and the evolution of gaseous reductants (principally CO and H₂), which may play a role in CoFe₂O₄ reduction and the concomitant respective dehydroxylation of phenol to benzene. The degree of methanol decomposition, and consequent H₂ or CO evolution, appears to correlate with surface Co²⁺ content: larger CoFe₂O₄ nanoparticles have more Co rich surfaces and are more active towards methanol decomposition than their smaller counterparts. Reduction of the inverse spinel surface thus switches catalysis from the regio- and chemo-selective methylation of phenol to o-cresol, towards methanol decomposition and phenol dehydroxylation to benzene. At 300 °C sub-20 nm CoFe₂O₄ nanoparticles are less active for methanol decomposition and become less susceptible to reduction than their 50 nm counterparts, favouring a high selectivity towards methylation.     

Electrocatalytic oxidation of methanol and ethanol at carbon ceramic electrode modified with platinum nanoparticles

The use of carbon ceramic electrode (CCE) modified with platinum particles was studied for the electrocatalytic oxidation of methanol and ethanol by cyclic voltammetry and chronoamperometry. After preparation of a carbon ceramic as an electrode matrix by sol–gel technique, its surface was potentiostatically coated with Pt nanoparticles at −0.2 V vs. SCE in an aqueous solution of 0.1 M H₂SO₄ containing 0.002 M H₂PtCl₆. The electrocatalyst was characterized by XRD, SEM and cyclic voltammetry. The effective parameters on electrocatalytic oxidation of the alcohols, i.e. the amount Pt loadings, medium temperature and working potential limit in anodic direction were investigated and the results were discussed. This modified electrode showed an enhanced current density over the other Pt-modified electrodes making it more attractive for fuel cell applications.     

Ship-in-Bottle synthesis of Pt9-Pt15 carbonyl clusters inside NaY and NaX zeolites,in-situ FTIR and EXAFS characterization and the catalytic behaviors in13CO exchange reaction and NO reduction by CO

[Pt₉(CO)₁₈]^2–/NaY (orange-brown, 2056 and 1798 cm^–1), [Pt₁₂(CO)₂₄]^2–/NaY (dark-green, 2080 and 1824 cm^–1 and [Pt₁₅(CO)₃₀]^2–/NaX (yellow-green, 2100 and 1865 cm^–1) were stoichiometrically synthesized by the reductive carbonylation of [Pt(NH₃)₄]²⁺/NaY, Pt²⁺/NaY and Pt²⁺/NaX, respectively. The IR bands characteristic of their linear carbonyls shift to higher frequencies whereas the bridging CO bands to lower frequencies, compared with those on the external zeolites and in solution. In-situ FTIR studies suggested that the subcarbonyl species such as PtO(CO) and Pt₃(CO)₃(₂ –CO)₃ are formed as the proposed intermediates towards [Pt₁₂(CO)₂₄]^2–/NaY in the reductive carbonylation of Pt²⁺/NaY.¹³CO exchange reaction preceded with the different intrazeolite Pt carbonyl species in the following order of activity at 298–343 K: Pt₃(CO)₃(₂ –CO)₃/NaY PtO(CO)/NaY>[Pt₉(CO)₁₈]^2–/NaY >[Pt₁₂(CO)₂₄]^2–/NaY. Pt-L₃-edge EXAFS measurment for these synthesized samples demonstrated that they are consistent with the Pt carbonyl clusters having trigonal prismatic Pt₉ and Pt₁₂ frameworks infered to a series of the Chini complexes such as [NEt₄]₂[Pt₃(CO)₆] _n ( _n = 3–5). The intrazeolite Pt₉ and Pt₁₂ carbonyl clusters exhibited higher cataytic activity in NO reduction by CO towards N₂ and N₂O at 473 K, compared with those on the conventional Pt/Al₂O₃ catalysts. The mechanism of intrazeolite Pt₉-Pt₁₅ carbonyl cluster formation are discussed in terms of the intrazeolite basicity and acidity.On leave from National Laboratory for Catalysis, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian, 129 Street, China.     

A comparative study of PtCo, PtCr, and PtCoCr catalysts for oxygen electro-reduction reaction

A comparative study of carbon supported Pt₃₀Co₇₀, Pt₃₀Cr₇₀, and Pt₃₀Co₃₀Cr₄₀ catalysts for oxygen electro-reduction reaction (ORR) activity was performed. In alloy catalysts synthesized via NaBH₄ reduction, more than a 3-fold improvement was observed in ORR specific activity compared with that of Pt/C catalyst, while mass activities did not show significant improvement. After annealing at 900 °C under reducing conditions, the ORR specific activities of the alloy catalysts increased to give a relative ORR catalytic activity ordering of PtCo/C-900 (2800 μA ) > PtCoCr/C-900 (1770 μA ) > PtCr/C-900 (871 μA ) > Pt/C-900 (393 μA ) > Pt/C (334 μA ). On the other hand, the ORR mass activity followed an order of PtCr/C-900 (140 mA ) > PtCoCr/C-900 (111 mA ) > PtCo/C-900 (84.1 mA ). Cyclic voltammetry results suggest that incorporation of Cr resulted in a large electrochemically active surface area producing higher mass activity in the PtCr/C-900 catalyst although it showed the lowest specific activity among the alloy catalysts. The intermediate EAS and ORR activity values of the PtCoCr/C-900 catalyst suggest that the characteristics of the PtCo/C-900 (low mass and high specific activities) and PtCr/C-900 (high mass and low specific activities) are combined by alloying of Pt with both Co and Cr.     

Diplatinum(III) [Cl2(μ2-amidinate)4] compound derived from air oxidation of mononuclear cis-[Pt(NH3)2(amidine-κ)2] complex

The dinuclear platinum(III) complex [Pt₂Cl₂{μ₂-N(H)C(Et)N(H)}₄] (2) has been prepared by heating cis-[Pt(NH₃)₂{NHC(NH₂)Et}₂](Cl)₂ (cis-1) under aeration conditions in an EtOH/H₂O mixture at 70 °C for 2 d and it was characterized by elemental analyses (C, H, N), ESI⁺-MS, IR, ¹H and ¹³C NMR spectroscopies and also by X-ray diffraction. Complex 2 represents the second Pt^III dimer stabilized by the amidinate ligand ever known and it has a lantern-type structure with four amidinate ligands bridging two Pt^III centers with Pt–Pt distance of 2.4809(2) Å.     

Investigation of carbon-supported Pt and PtCo catalysts for oxygen reduction in direct methanol fuel cells

Carbon-supported Pt and Pt₃Co catalysts with a mean crystallite size of 2.5 nm were prepared by a colloidal procedure followed by a carbothermal reduction. The catalysts with same particle size were investigated for the oxygen reduction in a direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) to ascertain the effect of composition. The electrochemical investigations were carried out in a temperature range from 40 to 80 °C and the methanol concentration feed was varied in the range 1-10 mol dm⁻³ to evaluate the cathode performance in the presence of different conditions of methanol crossover. Despite the good performance of the Pt₃Co catalyst for the oxygen reduction, it appeared less performing than the Pt catalyst of the same particle size for the cathodic process in the presence of significant methanol crossover. Cyclic voltammetry analysis indicated that the Pt₃Co catalyst has a lower overpotential for methanol oxidation than the Pt catalyst, and thus a lower methanol tolerance. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) analysis showed that the charge transfer resistance for the oxygen reduction reaction dominated the overall DMFC response in the presence of high methanol concentrations fed to the anode. This effect was more significant for the Pt₃Co/KB catalyst, confirming the lower methanol tolerance of this catalyst compared to Pt/KB. Such properties were interpreted as the result of the enhanced metallic character of Pt in the Pt₃Co catalyst due to an intra-alloy electron transfer from Co to Pt, and to the adsorption of oxygen species on the more electropositive element (Co) that promotes methanol oxidation according to the bifunctional theory.     

Low-temperature mild partial oxidation of ethanol over supported platinum catalysts

Supported platinum catalysts containing 1.2% Pt loaded on Al₂O₃ (1.2% Pt/Al₂O₃) and 1.9% Pt loaded on ZrO₂ (1.9% Pt/ZrO₂) were prepared by incipient wetness impregnation and sol–gel method, respectively. The activity of these catalysts in the partial oxidation of ethanol (POE) was examined in a fixed-bed reactor in a temperature range between 373 and 473 K. The results indicated that significant ethanol conversion (C_EtOH > 50%) was found at the low reaction temperature with a feed ratio of O₂/EtOH ratio >0.75. Oxygen molecules introduced in reactant were completely consumed in POE reactions performed. H₂, H₂O, CO and CO₂ were the major products detected. The selectivity of hydrogen (S_H2) and CO (S_CO) varied significantly with reaction conditions. High selectivity of hydrogen (S_H2 > 95%) and low selectivity of CO (S_CO  0%) were found from a mild oxidation at T_R = 373 K over Pt/ZrO₂. However, these two selectivities were drastically deteriorated through oxidation at high T_R, high O₂/EtOH ratio or over Pt/Al₂O₃ catalyst.     

High energy ball-milled Pt and Pt–Ru catalysts for polymer electrolyte fuel cells and their tolerance to CO

High energy ball milling, an industrially amenable technique, has been used to produce CO tolerant unsupported Pt–Ru based catalysts for the oxidation of hydrogen in polymer electrolyte fuel cells. Nanocrystalline Pt_0.5–Ru_0.5 alloys are easily obtained by ball-milling but their performances as anode catalysts are poor because nanocrystals composing the material aggregate during milling into larger particles. The result is a low specific area material. Improved specific areas were obtained by milling together Pt, Ru and a metal leacheable after the milling step. The best results were obtained by milling Pt, Ru, and Al in a 1:1:8 atomic ratio. After leaching Al, this catalyst (Pt_0.5–Ru_0.5 (Al₄)) displays a specific area of 38 m²g^–1. Pt_0.5–Ru_0.5 (Al₄) is a composite catalyst. It consists of two components: (i) small crystallites (4 nm) of a Pt–Al solid solution (1–3 Al wt%) of low Ru content, and (ii) larger Ru crystallites. It shows hydrogen oxidation performance and CO tolerance equivalent to those of Pt_0.5–Ru_0.5 Black from Johnson Matthey, the commercial catalyst which was found to be the most CO tolerant one in this study.     

Deep desulphurization of diesel fuels on bifunctional monolithic nanostructured Pt-zeolite catalysts

The preparation of Pt-zeolite catalysts, including choice of the noble metal precursor and loading (1.0–1.8 wt.%), was optimized for maximizing the catalytic activity in thiophene hydrodesulphurization (HDS) and benzene hydrogenation (HYD). According to data obtained by HRTEM, XPS, EXAFS and FTIR spectroscopy of adsorbed CO, the catalysts contained finely dispersed Pt nanoparticles (2–5 nm) located on montmorillonite and zeolite surfaces as: Pt⁰ (main, ν_CO = 2070–2095 cm⁻¹), Pt^δ+ (ν_CO = 2128 cm⁻¹) and Pt²⁺ (ν_CO = 2149–2155 cm⁻¹). It was shown that the state of Pt depended on the Si/Al zeolite ratio, montmorillonite presence and Pt precursor. The use of H₂PtCl₆ as the precursor (impregnation) promoted stabilization of an oxidized Pt state, most likely Pt(OH)_xCl_y. When Pt(NH₃)₄Cl₂ (ion-exchange) was used, the Pt⁰ and hydroxo- or oxy-complexes Pt(OH)₆²⁻ or PtO₂ were formed. The addition of the Ca-montmorillonite favoured stabilization of Pt^+δ. The Cl⁻ ions inhibit reduction of oxidized Pt state to Pt particles. The Pt-zeolite catalyst demonstrated high efficiency in ultra-deep desulphurization of DLCO. The good catalyst performance in hydrogenation activity and sulphur resistance can be explained by the favourable pore space architecture and the location and the state of the Pt clusters. The bimodal texture of the developed zeolite substrates allows realizing a concept for design of sulphur-resistant noble metal hydrotreating catalyst proposed by Song [C. Song, Shape-Selective Catalysis, Chemicals Synthesis and Hydrocarbon Processing (ACS Symposium Series 738), Washington, 1999, p. 381; Chemtech 29(3) (1999) 26].