The property transition metal nanoclusters are more active catalysts than their bulk counterparts because of increasing proportion of surface atoms with decreasing paricle size. The development of efficient and economical catalysts to further improve the kinetic properties under moderate conditions is therefore important for the practical application of nanoclusters as catalyst in the hydrogen generation from hydrolysis of ammonia borane this. In this regard, the development of active iron catalysts is a desired goal because it is the most ubiquitous of the transition metals, the fourth most plentiful element in the Earth&rsquo / s crust. In this dissertation, we report the preparation, characterization and investigation of the catalytic activity of the water soluble polymer stabilized iron(0) nanoclusters. They were prepared from the reduction of iron(III) chloride by a mixture of sodium borohydride (NaBH4, SB) and ammonia borane (H3NBH3, AB) mixture in the presence of polyethylene glycol (PEG) as stabilizer and ethylene glycol as solvent at 80 &deg / C under nitrogen atmosphere. PEG stabilized iron(0) nanoclusters were isolated from the reaction solution by centrifugation and characterized by SEM, EDX, TEM, HRTEM, XRD, UV-Vis, ICP-OES and FT-IR techniques. PEG stabilized iron(0) nanoclusters have almost uniform size distribution with an average particle size of 6.3 &plusmn / 1.5 nm. They were redispersible in water and yet highly active catalyst in hydrogen generation from the hydrolysis of AB. They provide a turnover frequency of TOF = 6.5 min-1 for the hydrolysis of AB at 25.0 &plusmn / 0.5 &deg / C. The TOF value is the best ever reported among the Fe catalyst and comparable to other non-noble metal catalyst systems for the catalytic hydrolysis of AB. Kinetics of hydrogen generation from the hydrolysis of AB in the presence of PEG stabilized iron(0) nanoclusters were also studied by varying the catalyst concentration, substrate concentration, and temperature. This is the first kinetic study on the hydrolysis of AB in the presence of an iron catalyst. Moreover, PEG stabilized iron(0) nanoclusters can be separated magnetically from the catalytic reaction solution by using a magnet and show catalytic activity even after tenth run.

Sodium borohydride (NaBH4) offers a simple and safe technology for storage and on demand production of hydrogen being a promising and a feasible method for fuel cell applications. The objectives of the present study are to emphasize the role of sodium borohydride as a part of future hydrogen energy system, to investigate the kinetics of the catalytic hydrolysis reaction of NaBH4 in a batch and flow system with respect to temperature, concentration, catalyst and flow rate for flow reactor by proposing a kinetic model and finally based on kinetic analysis, to design a prototype reactor to meet the hydrogen requirement for a 100W PEM fuel cell and operate it in steady state conditions. To express hydrolysis reaction by a kinetic model, series of batch experiments was performed in a glass flask (30mL) where the following parameters were systematically changed: the solution temperature varied as 20, 30 and 50&deg / C, the NaBH4 concentration changed as 0.17, 0.23 and 0.3M, NaOH concentration varied as 0.27, 1.32 and 2.85M and catalyst amount was changed as 0.048, 0.07 and 0.1g Pt/C (ETEK&reg / ). In the kinetic model catalyst effect proposed within the rate constant. The kinetic model was purposed as: For flow reactor system, in a differential glass reactor (5mL) concentration, catalyst amount, catalyst type and flow rate was systematically analyzed at a constant temperature. For Pt/C catalyst the purposed model was: Also, for intrazeolite Co(0) nanoclusters, as a result of controlled experiments, the rate expression was found as: Based on these data prototype reactor (recycle) with internal volume of 122cm3 and storage volume of 1336 cm3 was designed, manufactured from Delrin&reg / and operated.

Ruthenium(III) acetylacetonate was employed for the first time as homogeneous catalyst in the hydrolysis of sodium borohydride. Ruthenium(III) acetylacetonate was not reduced by sodium borohydride under the experimental conditions and remains unchanged after the catalysis, as shown by FT-IR and UV-Vis spectroscopic characterization. Poisoning experiments with mercury, carbon disulfide or trimethylphosphite provide compelling evidence that ruthenium(III) acetylacetonate is indeed a homogenous catalyst in the hydrolysis of sodium borohydride. Kinetics of the ruthenium(III) acetylacetonate catalyzed hydrolysis of sodium borohydride was studied depending on the catalyst concentration, substrate concentration and temperature. The hydrogen generation was found to be first order with respect to both the substrate concentration and catalyst concentration. The activation parameters of this reaction were also determined from the evaluation of the kinetic data: activation energy / Ea = 25.6 &amp / #61617 / &amp / #61472 / 1.3 kJ.mol-1, the enthalpy of activation / &amp / #8710 / H# = 24.6 &plusmn / 1.2 kJ.mol-1 and the entropy of activation &amp / #8710 / S# = -170 &plusmn / 5 J&amp / #61655 / mol-1&amp / #61655 / K-1. Ruthenium(III) acetylacetonate provides the lowest activation energy ever found for the hydrolysis of sodium borohydride. Ruthenium(III) acetylacetonate was found to be highly active catalyst providing 1183 total turnovers in the hydrolysis of sodium borohydride over 180 min before they are deactivated. The recorded turnover frequency (TOF) is 6.55 min-1.

Orientador: Antonio Claudio Herrera Braga / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Quimica / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-12T16:47:01Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Rocha_DanieleFernandadeOliveira_M.pdf: 3918609 bytes, checksum: ca79955ba1bba5d8eb4ed332338d0115 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2008 / Resumo: Neste trabalho foi estudado o comportamento de uma série de iminas estruturalmente análogas quando submetidas à biocatálise com fermento de pão e cenoura. Também foi testado NaBH4 em conjunto com alguns aminoálcoois de diferentes tamanhos, como 1-amino-2-propanol, prolinol e 2-a-hidroxibenzil-benzimidazol ou ácido tartárico. A utilização da biocatálise já é consolidada para a redução assimétrica de carbonilas, mas para a ligação C=N há poucos relatos na literatura, devido à facilidade com que esta ligação sofre hidrólise em meios aquosos. Os resultados foram negativos para biocatálise, apresentando hidrólise do substrato em diversas condições e solventes testados, mesmo com a utilização de 18-C-6 como aditivo e com a imobilização do substrato ou do fermento. As causas destes resultados podem ser tanto a falta de afinidade das enzimas com os substratos testados quanto a instabilidade dos mesmos nos meios utilizados. Foi aplicada uma metodologia bastante simples, com mistura manual de ambos em um almofariz. Testadas várias condições e diferentes solventes, nenhuma delas proporcionou um bom excesso enantiomérico. Uma provável causa para estes resultados pode ser a não eficiência da complexação entre o NaBH4 e os reagentes quirais. Testes de EM e RMN de B e H mostram a formação de um boroidreto quiral, mas não em quantidade suficiente para gerar maior assimetria na redução. Uma grande contribuição deste trabalho é a caracterização de um boroidreto quiral formado a partir de NaBH4 e S-(+)-2- a-hidroxibenzil-benzimidazol já reportado na literatura, mas sem um conjunto de dados conciso acerca de sua estrutura. Este composto gerou o maior excesso enantiomérico 27%, para a redução de N-benzil-(1-feniletilideno)amina / Abstract: This project studies the behavior of a series of imines structurally analogues in bioreductions with baker yeast and carrots, and also with NaBH4 using alternative chiral reagents like 1-amine-2-propanol, prolinol and 2-a- hidroxybenzyl-benzimidazole or tartaric acid. For biocatalysis we investigated different temperatures, solvents and proportions of reagents, but all conditions resulted in hydrolysis of the substrate. The instability of the imines or the lack of affinity can be the cause for these results, even using 18-C-6 as additive and immobilized yeast or substrate. By the chemical imine reduction we tried a simple method of induction, mixing manually NaBH4 and the chiral reagent in a mortar, using different solvents and temperatures, but none of them gave a good enantiomeric excess. Probably there was no coupling between NaBH4 and the chiral reagents, and consequently no preference in for one face in the reduction transition state. MS and NMR analysis have shown the formation of a chiral borohydride, but not an enough amount to give asymmetry in the reduction. A great contribution of this project is the characterization of a chiral borohydride obtained from NaBH4 and S-(+)-2-a-hydroxybenzyl-benzimidazole. It was previously reported, but with no confirmation of its structure. This compound reduced Nbenzyl-(1-phenyletilidene)amine with 27% enantiomeric excess / Mestrado / Quimica Organica / Mestre em Química

PtBi/C e PdBi/C foram preparados em diferentes razões atômicas (100:0, 90:10, 80:20, 70:30, 60:40 e 50:50) pelo método de redução via borohidreto de sódio (com adição total da solução de borohidreto em uma única etapa) utilizando H2PtCl6.6H2O, Pd(NO3)2, (BiNO3)3.5H2O como fonte de metais, Vulcan® (XC72-Cabot) como suporte de carbono e com uma carga metálica correspondente a 20% em massa. Os eletrocatalisadores obtidos foram caracterizados por difração de raios-X (DRX), microscopia eletrônica de transmissão (MET) e voltametria cíclica (VC). A atividade dos diferentes materiais preparados para a oxidação eletroquímica do ácido fórmico foi realizada em eletrólito ácido e alcalino utilizando-se as técnicas de voltametria cíclica, e cronoamperometria. Para estes estudos foi utilizado a técnica do eletrodo de camada fina porosa. A caracterização eletroquímica permitiu comparar o desempenho eletroquímico da platina e paládio, além de avaliar o benefício da presença do bismuto nas razões atômicas propostas. Os difratogramas de raio-X (DRX) confirmaram para todos os compostos de PtBi/C e PdBi/C a formação da estrutura cúbica de face centrada (cfc) característicos da rede cristalina da platina e do Paládio respectivamente. Outros picos encontrados foram associados a presença de fases de óxido de bismuto em ambos os compostos, PtBi/C e PdBi/C. A microscopia eletrônica de transmissão (MET) indicou que a presença de maiores teores de bismuto não acarretaram em aumento do tamanho médio da partícula. Os resultados eletroquímicos em meio alcalino indicaram que ainda é necessário uma otimização da concentração de ácido fórmico para que possamos observar melhores resultados quanto à adição de bismuto na platina ou paládio, no entanto os estudos em meio ácido mostraram o efeito benéfico da adição de bismuto tanto para platina quanto para o paládio. / PtBi/C and PdBi/C were prepared with different atomic ratios (100:0, 90:10, 80:20, 70:30, 60:40 and 50:50) by sodium borohydride reduction method (with total addition of the borohydride solution in just one step) using H2PtCl6.6H2O, Pd(NO3)2, (BiNO3)3.5H2O as source of metals, Vulcan® (XC72-Cabot) as carbon support and a metallic charge correspondent to 20% mass. The obtained electrocatalysts were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and cyclic voltammetry (CV). The activity of the different materials used for the formic acid electrochemical oxidation was performed in acid and alkaline electrolyte through cyclic voltammetry and chronoamperometry, using the porous thin-film electrode technique. The electrochemical characterization allowed for the comparison between the platinum and palladium electrochemical performance, as well as the evaluation of the benefit of having bismuth in the proposed atomic ratios. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) diffractograms confirmed, for every PtBi/C and PdBi/C compounds, the formation of the face-centered cubic structure (fcc) distinctive to platinum and palladiums crystalline net, respectively. Other peaks were found associated to the presence of bismuth oxide phases in both compounds, PtBi/C and PdBi/C. The transmission electron microscopy (TEM) indicated that a higher bismuth presence did not result in a larger particle size. The electrochemical results in alkaline medium indicated that an optimization on formic acid concentration is still necessary so that better results concerning bismuth addition to platinum or palladium could be observed, although the studies done in acid medium presented the beneficial effect of bismuth addition to both platinum and palladium.

Modification of softwood kraft pulp by the addition of either polysulfide (PS) or sodium borohydride (NaBH4) has been shown to increase the pulp yield due to a higher retention of glucomannan.  The pulps with higher yield gave a paper with higher tensile index than reference pulp, especially at lower degrees of refining. The higher yield pulps also showed a greater porosity of the fibre wall, indicating an increase in the swelling potential of the fibres. This can lead to increased fibre flexibility and increased joint strength between the fibres and to the higher handsheet tensile index. However, the swelling increase associated with the higher hemicellulose content could also make dewatering more challenging because of the higher water retention of the pulp. The results of this study show however that the positive influence of the increase in yield (fewer fibres and a more open sheet structure) dominates over the negative influence of the higher hemicellulose content on the dewatering properties, especially at lower refining energy levels. Studies simulating full-scale tissue machine dewatering conditions showed that pulps with a higher yield and a higher hemicellulose content had a higher tensile index at the same dryness. Moreover, the same dryness level was achieved in a shorter dwell-time. A given tensile index was also achieved with less refining energy. Increasing the yield and hemicellulose content by the addition of either an oxidizing or a reducing agent in the softwood kraft pulping process thus has a potential for giving high quality fibres for tissue paper production with less refining energy and lower drying energy costs. / <p>Vid tidpunkten för framläggningen av avhandlingen var följande delarbeten opublicerade: delarbete 2 inskickat.</p><p>At the time of the defence the following papers were unpublished: paper 2 submitted.</p>

Recent studies have shown that ruthenium(III) acetylacetonate is acting as homogeneous catalyst in the hydrolysis of sodium borohydride. Although trimethlyphosphite is found to be a poison for the catalytic hydrolysis of sodium borohydride, a longer observation of the reaction in the presence of ruthenium(III) acetylacetonate and 2 equivalent trimethylphosphite shows an unexpected enhancement in the catalytic activity after an induction period. The same rate enhancement is observed when 2 equivalent triphenylphosphine is added into the reaction solution. Addition of 1 equivalent 1,2-bis(diphenylphosphino)ethane, dppe, into the solution shows similarly a rate enhancement in the hydrolysis of sodium borohydride catalyzed by ruthenium(III) acetylacetonate. The effect of 1,2-bis(diphenylphosphino)ethane on the catalytic activity of ruthenium(III) acetylacetonate in the hydrolysis of sodium borohydride was studied by varying mole ratio of dppe / Ru(acac)3, ruthenium concentration, substrate concentration and temperature. The highest enhancement in the rate of hydrolysis was obtained when 1 equivalent dppe was used and therefore, this mole ratio of dppe / Ru(acac)3 was used in the further studies. The rate of the reaction was found to be first order in catalyst concentration and zero order in substrate concentration. From the evaluation of rate constant versus temperature data, the activation parameters for the hydrolysis of sodium borohydride catalyzed by ruthenium(III) acetylacetonate plus 1 equivalent dppe were found to be Ea= 59 &plusmn / 2 kJ/mol, &amp / #8710 / H&amp / #8800 / = 60 &plusmn / 1 kJ.mol-1 and &amp / #8710 / S&amp / #8800 / = -50 &plusmn / 3 J.(mol.K)-1. A series of control experiments were performed to characterize the active catalyst. However, the only useful information could be obtained by comparison of the UV-vis electronic absorption spectra taken from the solution during the catalytic reaction, is that, ruthenium(III) is reduced to ruthenium(II) in the course of reaction. It was concluded that a ruthenium(II) species is formed as a transient and may be the active catalyst in the reaction. After the reaction, the only ruthenium species isolated from the solution was the ruthenium(III) acetylacetonate.

<p>This dissertation describes the design and characterization of a lightweight hydrogen reactor coupled to a proton exchange membrane fuel cell for portable power delivery. The system is intended to recharge portable batteries in the absence of an established electrical power supply. The presented work can be divided into two endeavors; the first being an investigation of various hydrogen generation pathways and the second being the design, fabrication, and testing of a system to house hydrogen generation and deliver electrical power.</p> <p>Two hydrogen storage materials are considered for this work: ammonia borane and sodium borohydride. Organic acids are investigated for their ability to accelerate the hydrolysis of either material and generate hydrogen on-demand. In the case of ammonia borane, organic acids are investigated for a secondary role beyond reaction acceleration, serving also to purify the gas stream by capturing the ammonia that is produced during hydrolysis. Organic acids are found to accelerate the hydrolysis of ammonia borane and sodium borohydride with relative indifference towards the purity of water being used. This is advantageous as it allows the user to collect water at the point of use rather than transport highly pure water for use as a reactant. Collecting water at the point of use increases system energy density as only ammonia borane or sodium borohydride and an organic acid are transported with the system hardware.</p> <p>A custom hydrogen reactor is developed to facilitate hydrolysis of ammonia borane or sodium borohydride. The reactor is paired with a fuel cell to generate electrical power. The rate of hydrogen being generated by the system is modulated to match the fuel cell’s consumption rate and maintain a relatively constant pressure inside the reactor. This allows the system to satisfy a wide range of hydrogen consumption rates without risking over pressurization. The system is shown to produce up to 0.5 sLpm of hydrogen without exceeding 30 psia of hydrogen pressure or a temperature rise greater than 35°C.</p><p>The envisioned use for this system is portable battery charging for expeditionary forces within the United States military. This application informed several design choices and is considered when evaluating technological maturation. It is also used to compare the designed system to existing energy storage technologies.</p>

Os eletrocatalisadores Pd/C, Pd/C-15%ATO, PdAu/C-15%ATO (90:10, 70:30 e 50:50), PdIr/C-15%ATO (90:10, 70:30 e 50:50) e PdAuIr/C-15%ATO (90:5:5, 70:20:10 e 50:45:5) foram preparados pelo método de redução por borohidreto de sódio. Esses eletrocatalisadores foram caracterizados por espectroscopia de energia dispersiva de raios X (EDX), difração de raios X (DRX) e microscopia eletrônica de transmissão (MET), enquanto que as atividades eletrocatalíticas para a oxidação eletroquímica do ácido fórmico em meios ácido e alcalino foram investigadas por voltametria cíclica, cronoamperometria e experimentos em células a combustível de ácido fórmico direto (DFAFC) em meios ácido e alcalino a 100 ºC e 60 ºC, respectivamente. Os difratogramas de raios X dos eletrocatalisadores PdAu/C-15%ATO, PdIr/C-15%ATO e PdAuIr/C-15%ATO mostraram a presença de fase de estrutura cúbica de Pd (cfc), ligas de Pd-Au, Pd-Ir e Pd-Au-Ir, fases de carbono e SnO2. As micrografias eletrônicas de transmissão indicaram que as nanopartículas foram bem distribuídas sobre o suporte C-ATO e apresentaram alguns aglomerados. Os estudos eletroquímicos para oxidação de ácido fórmico foram realizados utilizando a técnica de camada fina porosa. Todos os eletrocatalisadores preparados foram testados em células a combustível unitárias alimentadas diretamente por ácido fórmico. Nos estudos comparativos entre os melhores eletrocatalisadores, o eletrocatalisador PdAuIr/C-15%ATO (50:45:5) em meios ácido e alcalino apresentou uma atividade eletrocatalítica superior para a oxidação eletroquímica do ácido fórmico em temperatura ambiente em comparação com o eletrocatalisador Pd/C-15%ATO e os outros eletrocatalisadores binários e ternários preparados. Os experimentos em uma DFAFC unitária ácida e alcalina, também, indicaram que o eletrocatalisador PdAuIr/C-15%ATO (90:5:5) apresentou melhor desempenho para oxidação eletroquímica do ácido fórmico a 100 ºC (meio ácido) e a 60 ºC (meio alcalino), respectivamente, em comparação com os demais eletrocatalisadores sintetizados. Esses resultados indicaram que a adição de Au e Ir ao Pd favorece a oxidação eletroquímica do ácido fórmico, esse efeito pode ser atribuído ao mecanismo bifuncional (a presença de ATO (Sb2O5·SnO2), óxidos de Au e Ir) associados ao efeito eletrônico (ligas de Pd-Au-Ir (cfc)). / Pd/C, Pd/C-15%ATO, PdAu/C-15%ATO (90:10, 70:30 e 50:50), PdIr/C-15%ATO (90:10, 70:30 e 50:50) and PdAuIr/C-15%ATO (90:5:5, 70:20:10 e 50:45:5) electrocatalysts were prepared by sodium borohydride reduction method. These electrocatalysts were characterized by energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and the electrocatalytic activity toward formic acid electrochemical oxidation in acid and alkaline media was investigated by cyclic voltammetry (CV), chroamperometry (CA) and experiments on direct formic acid fuel cell (DFAFC) at 100 ºC and 60 ºC, respectively. X-ray diffractograms of PdAu/C-15%ATO, PdIr/C-15%ATO and PdAuIr/C-15%ATO electrocatalysts showed the presence of Pd (fcc) phase, Pd-Au, Pd-Ir and Pd-Au-Ir alloys, carbon and SnO2 phases. TEM micrographs indicated that the nanoparticles were well distributed on the C-ATO support and showed some agglomerates. The electrochemical studies for the formic acid oxidation were performed using a thin porous coating technique. All the electrocatalysts prepared were tested in single fuel cells directly fed with acid formic. The PdAuIr/C-15%ATO (50:45:5) electrocatalyst in acid and alkaline media showed the higher electrocatalytic activity for acid formic electro-oxidation at room temperature compared to the Pd/C-15%ATO and others binary and ternary electrocatalysts prepared. The experiments in an acid and alkaline single DFAFC also showed that PdAuIr/C-15%ATO (90:5:5) electrocatalyst exhibited higher performance for formic acid oxidation at 100 ºC and 60 ºC, respectively, in comparison with the others electrocatalysts synthesized. These results indicated that the addition of Au and Ir to Pd promote the formic acid electrochemical oxidation, which could be attributed to the bifunctional mechanism (the presence of ATO (Sb2O5·SnO2), Au and Ir oxides species) associated to the electronic effect (Pd-Au-Ir alloys (fcc)).

Os eletrocatalisadores Pd/C, Pd/C-15%ATO, PdAu/C-15%ATO (90:10, 70:30 e 50:50), PdIr/C-15%ATO (90:10, 70:30 e 50:50) e PdAuIr/C-15%ATO (90:5:5, 70:20:10 e 50:45:5) foram preparados pelo método de redução por borohidreto de sódio. Esses eletrocatalisadores foram caracterizados por espectroscopia de energia dispersiva de raios X (EDX), difração de raios X (DRX) e microscopia eletrônica de transmissão (MET), enquanto que as atividades eletrocatalíticas para a oxidação eletroquímica do ácido fórmico em meios ácido e alcalino foram investigadas por voltametria cíclica, cronoamperometria e experimentos em células a combustível de ácido fórmico direto (DFAFC) em meios ácido e alcalino a 100 ºC e 60 ºC, respectivamente. Os difratogramas de raios X dos eletrocatalisadores PdAu/C-15%ATO, PdIr/C-15%ATO e PdAuIr/C-15%ATO mostraram a presença de fase de estrutura cúbica de Pd (cfc), ligas de Pd-Au, Pd-Ir e Pd-Au-Ir, fases de carbono e SnO2. As micrografias eletrônicas de transmissão indicaram que as nanopartículas foram bem distribuídas sobre o suporte C-ATO e apresentaram alguns aglomerados. Os estudos eletroquímicos para oxidação de ácido fórmico foram realizados utilizando a técnica de camada fina porosa. Todos os eletrocatalisadores preparados foram testados em células a combustível unitárias alimentadas diretamente por ácido fórmico. Nos estudos comparativos entre os melhores eletrocatalisadores, o eletrocatalisador PdAuIr/C-15%ATO (50:45:5) em meios ácido e alcalino apresentou uma atividade eletrocatalítica superior para a oxidação eletroquímica do ácido fórmico em temperatura ambiente em comparação com o eletrocatalisador Pd/C-15%ATO e os outros eletrocatalisadores binários e ternários preparados. Os experimentos em uma DFAFC unitária ácida e alcalina, também, indicaram que o eletrocatalisador PdAuIr/C-15%ATO (90:5:5) apresentou melhor desempenho para oxidação eletroquímica do ácido fórmico a 100 ºC (meio ácido) e a 60 ºC (meio alcalino), respectivamente, em comparação com os demais eletrocatalisadores sintetizados. Esses resultados indicaram que a adição de Au e Ir ao Pd favorece a oxidação eletroquímica do ácido fórmico, esse efeito pode ser atribuído ao mecanismo bifuncional (a presença de ATO (Sb2O5·SnO2), óxidos de Au e Ir) associados ao efeito eletrônico (ligas de Pd-Au-Ir (cfc)). / Pd/C, Pd/C-15%ATO, PdAu/C-15%ATO (90:10, 70:30 e 50:50), PdIr/C-15%ATO (90:10, 70:30 e 50:50) and PdAuIr/C-15%ATO (90:5:5, 70:20:10 e 50:45:5) electrocatalysts were prepared by sodium borohydride reduction method. These electrocatalysts were characterized by energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and the electrocatalytic activity toward formic acid electrochemical oxidation in acid and alkaline media was investigated by cyclic voltammetry (CV), chroamperometry (CA) and experiments on direct formic acid fuel cell (DFAFC) at 100 ºC and 60 ºC, respectively. X-ray diffractograms of PdAu/C-15%ATO, PdIr/C-15%ATO and PdAuIr/C-15%ATO electrocatalysts showed the presence of Pd (fcc) phase, Pd-Au, Pd-Ir and Pd-Au-Ir alloys, carbon and SnO2 phases. TEM micrographs indicated that the nanoparticles were well distributed on the C-ATO support and showed some agglomerates. The electrochemical studies for the formic acid oxidation were performed using a thin porous coating technique. All the electrocatalysts prepared were tested in single fuel cells directly fed with acid formic. The PdAuIr/C-15%ATO (50:45:5) electrocatalyst in acid and alkaline media showed the higher electrocatalytic activity for acid formic electro-oxidation at room temperature compared to the Pd/C-15%ATO and others binary and ternary electrocatalysts prepared. The experiments in an acid and alkaline single DFAFC also showed that PdAuIr/C-15%ATO (90:5:5) electrocatalyst exhibited higher performance for formic acid oxidation at 100 ºC and 60 ºC, respectively, in comparison with the others electrocatalysts synthesized. These results indicated that the addition of Au and Ir to Pd promote the formic acid electrochemical oxidation, which could be attributed to the bifunctional mechanism (the presence of ATO (Sb2O5·SnO2), Au and Ir oxides species) associated to the electronic effect (Pd-Au-Ir alloys (fcc)).