LAUSR

Abstract Fluorine (F) doped and partially oxidized tantalum carbide supported on graphitized carbon (TaCxFyOz/gC) as anodic non-precious metal electrocatalyst for glycerol oxidation reaction (GOR) has been successfully synthesized by a novel anion exchanged methodology. The bond length between Ta and F in TaCxFyOz is smallest than that of K2TaF7 and TaF5 measured by X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS), implying much more positive charge distributed around Ta atoms than that of others. It is better for the chemisorption of alcohols and weaken C O bonds. This result indicates that the performance of GOR on TaCxFyOz/gC electrocatalysts is thermodynamically better than that on Pt/gC electrocatalysts and kinetics of GOR on TaCxFyOz/gC electrocatalysts are more favorable than Pt, Au and Ni based electrocatalysts.