Enhancement of ethanol oxidation on Pd nanoparticles supported on carbon-antimony tin oxide hybrids unveils the relevance of electronic effects

Abstract

A comparative study of activity toward ethanol oxidation was carried out for catalysts having the same loading of identical Pd nanoparticles supported on carbon-oxide hybrids containing antimony tin oxide (Sb2O5/SnO2– ATO) in different amounts (20, 30 and 40�wt.%). Enhanced catalytic activity was observed for Pd nanoparticles supported on C-ATO hybrids. X-ray absorption spectroscopy experiments carried out around the Pd L3edge evidenced an increase in the electronic occupancy of the Pd 4d band indicating an electronic transfer from the hybrid supports to the Pd particles. A strong correlation between ethanol oxidation currents and X-ray absorption data reveals the importance of electronic effects in the electrocatalysis of ethanol oxidation on Pd. In addition, FTIR data show that C-ATO hybrid supports promote a decrease in the onset potential and an increase in carbonate/CO2production.