Synthesis and Characterization of Supported Pd Catalysts for Potential Application in Glycerol Electro-Oxidation

Ceria-supported Pd catalysts encompassing oxides of Cu, Co, and Fe were synthesized and characterized using XRD, TEM, SEM-EDX, TPR, BET, and Raman. After the incorporation of the metal oxides, the surface area and pore volume of the ceria support decreased. XRD showed the presence of the metal oxide phases as well as the support, CeO2. TPR showed that the bimetallic catalyst had improved reducibility compared to the monometallic Pd/CeO2. TEM images showed irregular-shaped particles with an average size distribution of 2–10 nm. SEM-EDX showed that the metal oxides were evenly distributed over the surface of the support. The electro-oxidation of glycerol in an alkaline environment was evaluated using cyclic voltammetry, and the products formed were identified and quantified using GC-MS. Glyceric acid was the dominant product over Pd-CuO/CeO2, while glyceraldehyde and dihydroxyacetone were dominant over Pd-Co3O4/CeO2 and Pd-Fe2O3/CeO2, respectively