Rhco Alloyed Nanodendrites as an Efficient Electrocatalyst for Boosting Electro Oxidation of Ethylene Glycol in Alkaline Media

Abstract

The development of high-performance Pt-free ethylene glycol oxidation reaction (EGOR) catalysts with relatively low price is the main challenge to the commercialization of direct ethylene glycol fuel cells (DEGFCs). In this work, RhCo alloyed nanodendritic catalysts applied on EGOR in alkaline solution were designed and synthesized by a solvothermal method. The RhCo nanodendrites consist of radially distributed pine tree shaped flakes and rod-like crystals. The mass activity for the as-prepared Rh3Co1 nanodendrites during the EGOR reached up to 3018.7 mA mg-1, which was 2.2-folds higher than that of commercial Pt/C. Moreover, the Rh3Co1 nanodendrites exhibited better stability toward the EGOR than pure Rh nanodendrites and commercial Pt/C. Experimental observations in combination with density functional theory calculations revealed that the notably promoted catalytic performances of Rh3Co1 nanodendrites are mainly attributed to the distinct nanodendritic morphology and the synergistic effect of Rh and Co. This work provides a valuable insight for developing efficient electrocatalysts for DEGFCs.

Keywords: RhCo nanodendritic catalyst, Ethylene glycol electrooxidation, Electrocatalyst, Ethylene glycol fuel cell, Alkaline medium