Nitrogen-doped carbon-modified titanium oxides supported Pd catalyst for the electrooxidation of formic acid

A Pd catalyst supported on a composite containing nitrogen-doped carbon-modified titanium oxides (Pd/NC-Ti-O), and was prepared for formic acid electrooxidation. According to structure and morphology characterizations, NC-Ti-O consists of a nitrogen-doped carbon, TiO2, Ti2O3, and Ti2O, and the Pd/NC-Ti-O catalyst has a smaller particle size and more uniform dispersion as compared to the Pd/Ti4O7 catalyst. Electrochemical measurements displayed that the Pd/NC-Ti-O catalyst possesses a better electrocatalytic activity and stability towards the electrooxidation of formic acid than Pd/Ti4O7. The improvement of catalytic activity is mainly ascribed to the higher content of metallic Pd and stronger resistance to CO poisoning caused by NC-Ti-O.