Hollow Graphitized Carbon Nanocage Supported Pd Catalyst with Excellent Electrocatalytic Activity for Ethanol Oxidation

Low cost, high activity and reliable stability are significant to the commercialization of fuel cell electrocatalysts. However, the synthesis of non-Pt anode catalysts with low cost, excellent performance and reliable stability is still a great challenge. Herein, we developed hollow graphitized carbon nanocages for improving the electrocatalytic performance of Pd nanoparticles (NPs) toward ethanol oxidation. A mild method was utilized for the preparation of hollow graphitized carbon nanocages (CN) using magnesium oxide as a sacrificial template without high-temperature processing. The CN can act as high-efficiency support for the distribution of Pd NPs. Pd NPs decorated on CN exhibited high catalytic performance with the current density of 2411.5 mA mg–1 for ethanol oxidation reaction, which is 1.84 and 4.42 times higher than reduced graphene oxide (1308.5 mA mg–1) and C (545.2 mA mg–1) as supports, respectively. The Pd/CN with excellent catalytic performance can be attributed to the CN, including the large surface area with a mesoporous hollow structure, uniform dispersion of Pd NPs, and excellent electrical conductivity. This study may offer new insights for the development of highly effective carbon-based support for applications in ethanol oxidation.