A hybrid FeOx/CoOx/Pt ternary nanocatalyst for augmented catalysis of formic acid electro-oxidation.

Platinum-based catalysts that have long been used as the anodes for the formic acid electro-oxidation (FAO) in the direct formic acid fuel cells (DFAFCs) were susceptible to retrogradation in performance due to CO poisoning that impaired the technology transfer in industry. This work is designed to overcome this challenge by amending the Pt surface sequentially with nanosized cobalt (nano-CoOx, fibril texture of ca. 200 nm in particle size) and iron (nano-FeOx, nanorods of particle size and length of 80 and 253 nm, respectively) oxides.

Boosted formic acid electro-oxidation on platinum nanoparticles and "mixed-valence" iron and nickel oxides.

The modification of Pt nanoparticles (nano-Pt, assembled electrochemically onto a glassy carbon (GC) substrate) with hybrid multivalent nickel (nano-NiO) and iron (nano-FeO) oxide nanostructures was intended to steer the mechanism of the formic acid electro-oxidation (FAO) in the desirable dehydrogenation pathway. This binary modification with inexpensive oxides succeeded in mediating the reaction mechanism of FAO by boosting reaction kinetics "electron transfer" and amending the surface geometry of the catalyst against poisoning. The sequence of deposition was optimized where the a-FeO/NiO/Pt/GC catalyst (where "a" denotes a post-activation step for the catalyst at -0.

Tailor-designed nanowire-structured iron and nickel oxides on platinum catalyst for formic acid electro-oxidation.

This investigation is concerned with designing efficient catalysts for direct formic acid fuel cells. A ternary catalyst containing iron (nano-FeO) and nickel (nano-NiO) nanowire oxides assembled sequentially onto a bare platinum (bare-Pt) substrate was recommended for the formic acid electro-oxidation reaction (FAOR). While nano-NiO appeared as fibrillar nanowire bundles ( 82 nm and 4.