Porous carbon-supported PtPdCu alloy heterostructures with a three-dimensional spatial network for efficient ethanol electro-oxidation

Abstract

Rationalizing efficient and economical electrocatalysts for ethanol electro-oxidation (EOR) is crucial for the development of sustainable energy sources. Herein, porous carbon-supported PtPdCu ternary alloy heterostructures (Pt_xPd_yCu_z/C, x : y : z = atomic ratio) were constructed using Cu-BTC as the precursor. Benefiting from the advantages of its three-dimensional spatial network structure, flexible ternary alloy composition and strong metal–support interaction, the as-designed Pt_xPd_yCu_z/C catalyst presents impressive EOR performance. Specifically, it achieved an EOR specific activity of 37.89 mA cm⁻² in alkaline electrolyte, which is 6 and 11.4 times higher than those of Pt/C (6.3 mA cm⁻²) and Pd/C (3.32 mA cm⁻²), respectively, and more than 90% of the initial activity was retained after 1000 consecutive CV cycles. In situ FTIR studies further reveal that the Pt_xPd_yCu_z/C catalyst requires a potential of only 0.45 V to oxidize poisonous CO intermediates in the EOR. This work provides valuable insights for the rationalization of MOF-derived ternary alloy electrocatalysts for ethanol electro-oxidation.