Electro-oxidation of hydrazine on NiFe2O4-rGO as a high-performance nano-electrocatalyst in alkaline media

Abstract

Providing an efficient and low-cost electrocatalyst is one of the most important challenges facing researchers in applying direct hydrazine fuel cells (DHFC). In this study, a binary transition metal oxide nanocatalyst, nickel ferrite (NiFe2O4), was prepared and hybridized with reduced graphene oxide (rGO) by the hydrothermal method. The potential of catalysts in the hydrazine oxidation reaction (HOR) was investigated by electrochemical analyses. The results of electrochemical tests showed that adding rGO to the nanocatalyst structure significantly reduces the overvoltage and increases the current density in the HOR process. Excellent stability of NiFe2O4-rGO nanocatalyst (98% after 5000 consecutive cycles), as well as the synergistic effect of NiFe2O4 and rGO, introduces NiFe2O4-rGO nanocatalyst as a promising nanocatalyst in the HOR. NiFe2O4 provides active sites for HOR and rGO to facilitate charge transfer by increasing active surface area and conductivity.