Affiliation:
1. Present address: Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency of the European Commission Chaussée de Wavre 910 1040 Etterbeek Brussels Belgium
2. Research group Applied Electrochemistry & Catalysis University of Antwerp Universiteitsplein 1 2610 Wilrijk Belgium
3. Separation & Conversion Technologies Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO) Boeretang 200 2400 Mol Belgium
4. Research group Electron Microscopy for materials science University of Antwerp Groenenborgerlaan 171 2020 Antwerp Belgium
Abstract
AbstractA facile, “one‐pot”, chemical approach to synthesize gold‐based nanoparticles finely dispersed on porous activated carbon (Norit) was demonstrated in this work. The pH of the synthesis bath played a critical role in determining the optimal gold‐carbon interaction, which enabled a successful deposition of the gold nanoparticles onto the carbon matrix with a maximized metal utilization of 93 %. The obtained AuNP/C nanocomposite was characterized using SEM, HAADF‐STEM electron tomography and electrochemical techniques. It was found that the Au nanoparticles, with diameters between 5 and 20 nm, were evenly distributed over the carbon matrix, both inside and outside the pores. Electrochemical characterization indicated that the composite had a very large electroactive surface area (EASA), as high as 282.4 m2 gAu−1. By exploiting its very high EASA, the catalyst was intended to boost the productivity of glucaric acid in the electrooxidation of its precursor, gluconic acid. However, cyclic voltammetry experiments revealed a very limited reactivity towards gluconic acid oxidation, due to the spacial hindrance of gluconic acid molecule which prevented diffusion inside the catalyst nanopores. On the other hand, the as‐synthesized nanocomposite promises to be effective towards the ORR, and might thus find potential application as anode catalyst for fuel cells as well as for the scalability of all those electrochemical reactions involving small molecules with high diffusivity and catalysed by noble metals (i. e. CO2, CH4, N2, etc..).
Subject
Electrochemistry,Catalysis
Cited by
1 articles.
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