Synergistic effects of Pd and Cu for production of hydrogen and formate via electrocatalytic formaldehyde oxidation

Abstract

Here, we designed a Pd-doped Cu/Cu₂O nanosheet on copper foam (Pd–Cu/Cu₂O/CF) for formaldehyde oxidation reaction (FOR). The Pd–Cu/Cu₂O/CF exhibits exceptional FOR performance, achieving a current density of 0.72 A cm⁻² at 0.1 V. In particular, HCHO is partially oxidized to formate while releasing H₂. When implemented in a FOR-HER system, the Pd–Cu/Cu₂O/CF exhibits outstanding stability and catalytic activity.