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Pt–Pd bimetallic nanoparticles on MWCNTs: catalyst for hydrogen peroxide electrosynthesis

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Abstract

Bimetallic nanoparticles of Pt–Pd were deposited by the microemulsion method on a multiwall carbon nanotube (MWCNTs) to obtain a Pt–Pd/MWCNTs for electrocatalytic reduction of O2 to H2O2. The activity and selectivity of the catalyst was determined qualitatively by the rotating disk electrode method in acidic medium. The catalyst was spray-coated onto a reticulated vitreous carbon substrate and quantitatively was tested in bulk electrolysis for 20 min under potentiostatic conditions (0.5 V vs Ag/AgCl) in a 0.5 M H2SO4 electrolyte using dissolved O2. The bulk electrolysis experiments show that the Pt–Pd/MWCNTs catalyst is more efficient for H2O2 electrogeneration than a MWCNTs catalyst. Nitrobenzene degradation by electrogenerated H2O2 alone and Electro-Fenton process were also tested. Our results show that both processes decompose nitrobenzene, but the Electro-Fenton process does it more efficiently. The prepared nanoparticulated catalyst shows a great potential in environmental applications.

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Acknowledgments

The authors acknowledge the financial support of the Mexican Council of Science and Technology (CONACyT) under Grants RED-2012-194153 and 155388, The National Laboratory for Nanotech at CIMAV Chihuahua, Mexico, is also acknowledged for use of its electron microscopy facilities. We thank Angel Licea-Claverie for comments and review of the manuscript. We also thank Carlos Ornelas for his technical help in electron microscopy and Eloisa Aparicio for performing the X-ray diffraction analysis. M. Beltrán-Gastélum, C. Silva-Carrillo, and M. I. Salazar-Gastélum are grateful to CONACyT for providing the scholarship for their doctoral thesis research.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centro de Graduados e Investigación, Instituto Tecnológico de Tijuana, Apdo. Postal 1166, 22000, Tijuana, BC, Mexico

    R. M. Félix-Navarro, M. Beltrán-Gastélum, M. I. Salazar-Gastélum, C. Silva-Carrillo, E. A. Reynoso-Soto, S. Pérez-Sicairos & S. W. Lin

  2. Centro de Investigación en Materiales Avanzados, Apdo. Postal 31109, Miguel de Cervantes 120, Chihuahua, CHIH, Mexico

    F. Paraguay-Delgado

  3. Centro de Nanociencias y Nanotecnología, Apdo. Postal 356, Km. 107 Carretera Tijuana-Ensenada, 22800, Ensenada, BC, Mexico

    G. Alonso-Núñez

Authors
  1. R. M. Félix-Navarro
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  2. M. Beltrán-Gastélum
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  3. M. I. Salazar-Gastélum
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  4. C. Silva-Carrillo
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  5. E. A. Reynoso-Soto
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  6. S. Pérez-Sicairos
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  7. S. W. Lin
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  8. F. Paraguay-Delgado
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  9. G. Alonso-Núñez
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Correspondence to R. M. Félix-Navarro.

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Félix-Navarro, R.M., Beltrán-Gastélum, M., Salazar-Gastélum, M.I. et al. Pt–Pd bimetallic nanoparticles on MWCNTs: catalyst for hydrogen peroxide electrosynthesis. J Nanopart Res 15, 1802 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11051-013-1802-3

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