Monodispersed PtPdNi Trimetallic Nanoparticles-Integrated Reduced Graphene Oxide Hybrid Platform for Direct Alcohol Fuel Cell

Abstract

The direct alcohol fuel cell has recently emerged as an important energy conversion device. In the present article, superior alcohol (ethanol, ethylene glycol, and glycerol) electrooxidation performance using trimetallic platinum–palladium–nickel (PtPdNi) alloy nanoparticles of diameters from 2–4 nm supported on a reduced graphene oxide (rGO) electrocatalyst is demonstrated. A simple and single-step solvothermal technique is adopted to fabricate the alloy/rGO hybrid electrocatalysts by simultaneous reduction of metal ions and graphene oxide. The detailed electrochemical investigation revealed that the performance of the trimetallic/rGO hybrid toward electrooxidation of different alcohols is higher than that of bimetallic alloy/rGO hybrids and the state-of-the-art Pt/C catalyst. The incorporation of Ni into the PtPd alloy is found to change the surface of the electronic structure PtPd alloy leading to higher electrochemical surface areas and improved kinetics. In addition, the hydrophilic nature of Ni not only facilitates alcohol electrooxidation but also electrooxidation of residual carbon impurities formed on the catalyst surface, thus reducing catalyst poisoning, demonstrating its role in the development of anode catalysts for the alcohol fuel cells.

Recent advances in the electrooxidation of biomass-based organic molecules for energy, chemicals and hydrogen production

“…The improvement in activity of pure monometallic M1 (M1 = Pt, Pd, Ru, Rh, Au) catalysts due to the presence of a second metal M2 (from transition metals to those of the previous list) is thought to be a combination of a bifunctional mechanism and ligand effects. 18,20,26,[129][130][131][132][133][134][135][136][137][138][139][140][141] According to the bifunctional effect, a partially oxidized transition metal M2 provides oxygenated species (M2-(OH)x) which allow the optimal oxidation. In heterogeneous electrocatalysis, this is known as the Langmuir-Hinshelwood mechanism.…”

Synthesis, Properties, and Biological Applications of Metallic Alloy Nanoparticles

“…The main disadvantage of this technique is the need for high temperatures, which can be dangerous, and difficulty in isolating unstable nanoparticles from the reaction at high temperature [ 30 , 33 ]. Fe-, Ni-, and Co-based alloy nanoparticles such as Pt–Co, Au–Fe, Au–Ni, Au–Co, Fe–Co, Fe–Ni, Co–Pt, Ni–Mo, Pt–Ni–Fe, Sn–Zn–Cu, and Au–Cu–Pt are produced by thermal decomposition [ 14 , 20 , 34 , 35 , 36 , 37 , 38 , 39 , 40 , 41 , 42 , 43 , 44 ].…”

Platinum‐Based Electrocatalysts for Direct Alcohol Fuel Cells: Enhanced Performances toward Alcohol Oxidation Reactions

“…That is to say, they can be sufficiently produced and ensure their low cost. Moreover, the liquid fuels can be safely stored, easily handled, and conveniently transported, which facilitates their wide utilization in practical applications [5,8,9] . To date, many works have been focused on this area [8,10–14] .…”

“…Moreover, the liquid fuels can be safely stored, easily handled, and conveniently transported, which facilitates their wide utilization in practical applications. [5,8,9] To date, many works have been focused on this area. [8,[10][11][12][13][14] On the basis of the previous works, it is obvious that there are electrocatalytic oxidation reactions.…”