A comprehensive and critical review of the recent progress in electrocatalysts for the ethanol oxidation reaction

Abstract

The human craving for energy is continually mounting and becoming progressively difficult to gratify. At present, the world's massive energy demands are chiefly encountered by nonrenewable and benign fossil fuels. However, the development of dynamic energy cradles for a gradually thriving world to lessen fossil fuel reserve depletion and environmental concerns is currently a persistent issue for society. The discovery of copious nonconventional resources to fill the gap between energy requirements and supply is the extreme obligation of the modern era. A new emergent, clean, and robust alternative to fossil fuels is the fuel cell. Among the different types of fuel cells, the direct ethanol fuel cell (DEFCs) is an outstanding option for light-duty vehicles and portable devices. A critical tactic for obtaining sustainable energy sources is the production of highly proficient, economical and green catalysts for energy storage and conversion devices. To date, a broad range of research is available for using Pt and modified Pt-based electrocatalysts to augment the C₂H₅OH oxidation process. Pt-based nanocubes, nanorods, nanoflowers, and the hybrids of Pt with metal oxides such as Fe₂O₃, TiO₂, SnO₂, MnO, Cu₂O, and ZnO, and with conducting polymers are extensively utilized in both acidic and basic media. Moreover, Pd-based materials, transition metal-based materials, as well as transition metal-based materials are also points of interest for researchers nowadays. This review article delivers a broad vision of the current progress of the EOR process concerning noble metals and transition metals-based materials.