Electro-Oxidation of Ammonia at Novel Ag₂O−PrO₂/γ-Al₂O₃ Catalysts

An Ag2O(x)−PrO2(y)/γ-Al2O3 electrocatalyst series (X:Y is for Ag:Pr from 0 to 10) was synthesized, to use synthesized samples in electrochemical applications, a step in fuel cells advancements. Ag2O(x)−PrO2(y)/γ-Al2O3/Glassy-Carbon was investigated for electrochemical oxidation of ammonia in alkaline medium and proved to be highly effective, having high potential utility, as compared to commonly used Pt-based electrocatalysts. In this study, gamma alumina as catalytic support was synthesized via precipitation method, and stoichiometric wt/wt.% compositions of Ag2O−PrO2 were loaded on γ-Al2O3 by co-impregnation method. The desired phase of γ-Al2O3 and supported nanocatalysts was obtained after heat treatment at 800 and 600 °C, respectively. The successful loadings of Ag2O−PrO2 nanocatalysts on surface of γ-Al2O3 was determined by X-rays diffraction (XRD), Fourier-transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), and energy dispersive analysis (EDX). The nano-sized domain of the sample powders sustained with particle sizes was calculated via XRD and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The surface morphology and elemental compositions were examined by SEM, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and EDX. The conductive and electron-transferring nature was investigated by cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance (EIS). Cyclic voltammetric profiles were observed, and respective kinetic and thermodynamic parameters were calculated, which showed that these synthesized materials are potential catalysts for ammonia electro-oxidation. Ag2O(6)−PrO2(4)/γ-Al2O3 proved to be the most proficient catalyst among all the members of the series, having greater diffusion coefficient, heterogeneous rate constant and lesser Gibbs free energy for this system. The catalytic activity of these electrocatalysts is revealed from electrochemical studies which reflected their potentiality as electrode material in direct ammonia fuel cell technology for energy production.