Papers by Keyword: 4-Electron Reduction

Abstract: Two types of oxide nanosheet-based materials, a H3O+-exchanged layered titanate and restacked titania nanosheets (H3O+-RE) were synthesized by soft chemical methods, and their oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) activities were examined by semi-steady-state voltammetry with a rotating ring-disc electrode at 70°C in 0.05 M H2SO4. Both samples showed similar onset potentials of the ORR, ~ 0.50 vs. reversible hydrogen electrode, while the efficiencies (Eff4) of the 4-electron reduction of oxygen depended on their nanostructures, i.e. the stacking morphology of nanosheets, specific surface area and kinds of cation between the nanosheets. Both H3O+-form samples showed high Eff4 values are compared with Cs+-form layered titanate.and the H+-form restacked titania nanosheets. This reveals that the H3O+ions and the number of the active sites for ORR are related to the ORR activity. The H3O+-RE exhibited the best Eff4 value (> 90%), which is comparable to that of a conventional 20 mass% Pt/C catalyst.

Abstract: The activity of electrochemical oxygen reduction (EOR) for the pyrochlores Ln2Ru2-XO7-δ (Ln=Pr,Nd,Sm) [LnR] were examined in 0.1 M KOH aqueous solution at 70oC. The onset voltage (Vo) of the oxygen reduction current and the efficiency (E4) of 4-electron reduction of oxygen were evaluated by semi-steady state voltammetry with rotating ring-disk electrodes. PrR with the highest EOR activity showed Vo = ~ 0.85 V vs. reversible hydrogen electrode and E4 values above 80 %. Their Vo and E4 values show that LnR containing Ln with a smaller atomic number has a higher EOR activity, i.e. the order of the activity is PrR > NdR > SmR. This was in good agreement with that of the lattice parameters of LnR. These results indicate that the EOR activity of LnR depends on the kind and/or the size of the lanthanide metal ion on the A-site. PrR and NdR exhibited higher E4 values than known excellent Pb2Ru2O7-δ electrocatalyst containing toxic Pb.