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Influence of the Particle Size Distribution on the Activity and Selectivity of Carbon‐Supported Platinum Nanoparticle Catalysts for Ethanol Electrooxidation
Author(s) -
Gomes JanainaF.,
Profeti Demetrius,
Deiner L. Jay
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
chemelectrochem
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.182
H-Index - 59
ISSN - 2196-0216
DOI - 10.1002/celc.201300060
Subject(s) - catalysis , particle size , platinum , nanoparticle , electrochemistry , selectivity , cyclic voltammetry , particle (ecology) , chemistry , carbon fibers , inorganic chemistry , analytical chemistry (journal) , materials science , chemical engineering , nanotechnology , electrode , chromatography , organic chemistry , composite material , oceanography , geology , composite number , engineering
The electrooxidation of 0.1 M ethanol in 0.5 M HClO 4 is studied with differential electrochemical mass spectrometry (DEMS) and cyclic voltammetry (CV) over two different carbon‐supported platinum‐nanoparticle catalysts (20 wt % metal). As documented by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), the catalysts have similar mean particle sizes but different particle size distributions. One catalyst is composed almost entirely (>99 %) of particles less than or equal to 3.5 nm while a significant fraction (21 %) of the other catalyst is composed of particles larger than 3.5 nm. The presence of the larger particles increases the peak oxidation current density by 116 % (from 0.06 to 0.13 mA cm −2 ). However, the presence of the larger particles reduces the efficiency for complete ethanol electrooxidation to CO 2 from 13 % to 6.4 % over the full potential sweep. These differences in activity and selectivity of the two catalysts are discussed in the context of previously established changes in the bonding strength of reaction intermediates as a function of the catalyst particle size.