New Nanocomposite Materials Based On Palladium, Cobalt, and Nickel for Electrocatalytic Oxygen Reduction

Abstract

By pyrolysis of homobinuclear hexamethylenediaminetetraacetate complexes of cobalt or nickel sorbed on activated carbon AG-3 together with potassium tetrachloropalladate, composite electrocatalysts for oxygen reduction have been synthesized. It is shown that in addition to a carbon support, the obtained materials contain nanosized particles of palladium, cobalt, or nickel, as well as mixed cobalt oxide, PdNi alloy, and palladium-cobalt particles, depending on the used precursors. As a result of polarization measurements in an alkaline solution on a “floating” gas diffusion electrode, surface-modified with such composite materials, it is established that a palladium-cobalt electrocatalyst is the most active. Its activity exceeds that of the palladium catalyst on a carbon support.