Enhanced electrocatalytic activity and stability of Pd nanoparticles supported on TiO2-modified nitrogen-doped carbon for ethanol oxidation in alkaline media

TiO 2 -modified nitrogen-doped carbon (TiO 2 -NC), prepared by a polymerization-pyrolysis process, is used to support the Pd catalyst for ethanol oxidation reaction (EOR) in alkaline media . X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy characterization indicates that the incorporation of TiO 2 and nitrogen into the carbon matrix could improve the percentage of Pd 0 in Pd/TiO 2 -NC catalyst. Electrochemical characterization shows that the Pd/TiO 2 -NC catalyst presents higher electrocatalytic activity and stability for EOR than the nitrogen-doped carbon-supported Pd (Pd/NC) catalyst and the carbon black-supported Pd (Pd/CB) catalyst, which can be mainly attributed to the high percentage of Pd 0 in Pd/TiO 2 -NC catalyst (65%) than those in Pd/NC (48%) and Pd/CB (31%) catalysts. The results indicate that the Pd/TiO 2 -NC catalyst holds great potential as high-performance anode catalyst for direct ethanol fuel cells.