Enhanced formic acid dehydrogenation by the synergistic alloying effect of PdCo catalysts supported on graphitic carbon nitride

The catalytic ability of graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4)-supported composition-controlled PdCo catalysts towards H-2 generation from the formic acid dehydrogenation reaction was assessed in this study and a noticeable composition dependence was evidenced. It was seen that the alloying effect combined with the nitrogen functionalities present on g-C3N4 assisted the formation of small and well-distributed nanoparticles. This fact, combined with the electronic promotion of Pd species via charge transfer from Co and basic features of the support, resulted in enhanced catalytic activities compared to that displayed by the counterpart Pd/g-C3N4, reaching a TOF value of 1193 h(-1) for the most active catalyst among investigated (PdCo/g-C3N4 (1/0.7)). Furthermore, the present catalytic system showed high selectivity towards formic acid dehydrogenation, suppressing the generation of undesired CO via formic acid dehydration, which makes it a suitable candidate for practical application in fuel cells. (C) 2018 Hydrogen Energy Publications LLC. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.