Palladium catalyst modified with molybdenum bronze as a possible alternative to platinum in the methanol oxidation reaction

nPd(Hx − 2nMoO3)/GC electrodes were prepared by the surface reaction between red molybdenum bronze (HxMoO3, x ≈ 1.55) and palladium ions under the open-circuit conditions. The synthesized composites were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (AES ICP). nPd(Hx − 2nMoO3)/GC electrodes showed unusually high catalytic activity toward the methanol oxidation reaction (MOR), significantly higher than that of the electrodeposited palladium and not inferior to the platinum in the Pt/C catalysts. The effect of acceleration of MOR was explained by the bifunctional catalysis mechanism involving molybdenum bronzes. An important role of the Pd/molybdenum bronzes boundaries has been assumed.