Facile synthesis of boron doped NiCu2O4 for efficient methanol oxidation: Selective towards value-added formate formation

Abstract

The design and development of low-cost non-noble metal electrocatalysts with superior activity towards methanol oxidation reaction are highly demanded. Herein, we demonstrate simple combustion route to synthesis NiCu2O4 electrocatalyst and the electronic structure of NiCu2O4 was deliberately tuned via doping boron heteroatom. The trace amounts of boron are atomically dispersed on the surface of the NiCu2O4 that helps in achieving highest current density of 73 mA/cm2, which is ∼2 fold higher than pristine catalyst. Unlike other noble metals, B/NiCu2O4 possess partial oxidation via indirect pathway and selective towards formate formation as demonstrated by NMR spectra and Nyquist plot. Interestingly, NiCu2O4 exhibits faradaic efficiency of 36% This work might be new insight for designing non-noble metals-based methanol oxidation via value added product.