Critical Raw Material-Free Catalysts and Electrocatalysts: Complementary Strategies to Activate Economic, Robust, and Ecofriendly SrTiO3

In this contribution, new SrTiO3-based materials have been developed and their catalytic and electrocatalytic properties have been tuned by cation insertion, nanocomposition, and infiltration. The aim is to develop highly functional materials within a critical raw material-free approach with a particular aim toward durability and stability [under operating conditions of solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) anodes] and activity toward biogas. We started from a sustainable and durable perovskite, SrTiO3, with the aim of implementing performances with insertion of Ba and Mo into the crystalline cell. The catalysts are Ba(x)Sr(1-x)Ti(1-y)MoyO(3), with x = 0 and 0.5 and y = 0, 0.1, and 0.4. Water-based wet chemistry procedures were developed specifically for each compound to obtain high purity and control barium and molybdenum insertion into the perovskite lattice. This result has been successfully obtained by means of a detailed characterization (X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, temperature-programmed desorption, temperature-programmed reduction, and Brunauer-EmmettTeller) carried out during each preparation steps. We demonstrated that catalytic (methane dry reforming and CO oxidation is obtained with SrTi0.9Mo0.1O3) and electrocatalytic (of SrTi0.6Mo0.4O3 as the anode in SOFCs) activities can be developed starting from an economic, sustainable, and robust material. Activity enhancement was obtained with nickel nanodeposition (wet impregnation and infiltration).