Enhanced hydroxyl adsorption and improved glycerol adsorption configuration for efficient glyceric acid production

Challenges such as insufficient reactivity and low selectivity of single C₃ product limit the application of glycerol oxidation reaction (GOR) into the production of value-added products. In this work, Pd nanoparticles were loaded on supports containing different cations (NiFe(OH)₂, NiCo(OH)₂, and Ni(OH)₂) using electrodeposition method. This approach facilitated the interactions between the Pd and the support, allowing for the regulation of the electronic structure and the design of catalyst morphology, ultimately leading to enhanced performance. Remarkably, Pd/NiCo(OH)₂ displays improved activity (128.8 mA·cm^-2 at 0.95 V vs. RHE), glyceric acid (GLA) selectivity (67 %) reaction kinetics and stability compared to pure Pd. Combined density functional theory (DFT) calculation and experimental results indicated that the superior electrocatalytic performance of Pd/NiCo(OH)₂ arises from a lower d-band center, a unique nanorod array microstructure, high OH_ads coverage, an improved adsorption configuration for glycerol, and strong adsorption of glycerol and hydroxyl at the metal-support interface. This research presents a novel strategy for optimizing glycerol oxidation performance.