Improved electrocatalytic activity for ethanol oxidation by Pd@N-doped carbon from biomass.

Pd@N-doped carbon (Pd@CN) exhibited four and two times higher peak current density toward ethanol electrooxidation than Pd@active carbon and Pd@non-nitrogen carbon. Controlled experimental results indicated that the incorporation of nitrogen into the carbon matrix improved the percentage of Pd(0) and increased the binding energy of Pd in Pd@CN, and accordingly enhanced the catalytic activity.