Palladium nanoparticles supported on flower-like boron, nitrogen doped carbon for electrochemical oxidation ethanol reaction

We loaded palladium (Pd) nanoparticles (NPs) onto a flower-like boron (B), nitrogen (N) doped carbon carrier via a cobalt reduction path. The B, N co-doped flower-like carbon carrier itself (BNCF-800) was prepared by the pyrogenation process of flower-like cobalt boronoisophthalic acid (Co-BA), which was produced through the coordination between Co2+, derived from the zeolitic imidazolate frameworks (ZIF-67), and 5-boronoisophthalic acid. The abundant activity sites caused by B, N doped carbon are able to anchor the Pd nanoparticles further during the cobalt reduction process to prevent the agglomeration of Pd NPs on the BNCF-800 carrier. The flower-like construct of carbon composites also offers more open spaces and paths to promote mass and charge transmission in the catalyst process. Hence, the palladium catalyst immobilized on the flower-like B, N doped carbon exhibited electro-catalyst performance toward an ethanol oxidation reaction (EOR). The mass activity of the Pd/BNCF-800 was 1989.20 mA mg−1, which is 2.84 times that of the Pd/C in the basic electrolyte.