Pd nanoparticles have been supported onto different novel carbon materials to be used in the electroreduction of CO2 to high-added value products. Carbon nanocoils (CNCs), carbon nanofibers (CNFs) and ordered mesoporous carbon materials (OMCs) have been studied as support of the catalysts. In addition, Pd catalyst supported onto Vulcan XC-72R has been synthesized in order to establish a comparison with the commercial support. In this way, the influence of the carbon material on the physicochemical and electrochemical properties of the catalysts for the CO2 electroreduction process can be analyzed. Supports presented different morphologies and structures. CNFs and CNCs exhibited a crystalline structure with well-aligned graphitic layers and OMCs a hexagonal ordered structure composed of not crystalline carbon. Finally, Vulcan presented an intermediate structure between amorphous and graphitic. These differences do not affect significantly the average Pd crystallite size,although a different metal dispersion was found depending on the carbon material. On the other hand, cyclic voltammetry studies showed that CO2 was effectively reduced to other species at the surface of Pd/C catalysts. Additionally, it was proved that these species were adsorbed onto Pd at -1.0 V vs Ag/AgCl. Finally, a different catalytic activity towards the CO2 reduction reaction was observed for the different electrocatalysts, indicating an influence of the carbon support.The authors gratefully acknowledge financial support given by Spanish MINECO (CTQ2011‐28913‐C02‐01 and 02). S. Pérez-Rodríguez acknowledges Gobierno de Aragón for the DGA grant.Peer reviewe

Well defined Ni nanoparticles stabilized with N-heterocyclic carbenes have been synthesized through decarboxylation of a zwitterionic CO₂ adduct and they selectively hydrogenate internal alkynes into (Z)-alkenes under mild reaction conditions.

This paper summarizes the main results obtained by the Fuel Combustion Group in three applications: (1) carbon-based catalysts for the selective catalytic reduction (SCR) process of NO _x , (2) Pt and Pt–Ru catalysts for direct alcohol fuel cells, (3) carbon-supported catalysts for the electroreduction of CO ₂ . Concerning the first aspect, low-cost catalysts able to work at lower temperatures have been prepared and compared with commercial catalysts; for the second one, new catalysts for methanol and ethanol electrochemical oxidation exhibiting current densities that are double those of the commercial ones have been developed; as regards the third one, carbon-supported catalysts for the electroreduction of CO ₂ based on Fe and Pd were synthesized and tested. Formic acid was obtained as the main product on all Fe/C electrodes.