Highly efficient anode catalyst with a Ni@PdPt core–shell nanostructure for methanol electrooxidation in alkaline media

Abstract

To enhance the electrocatalytic activity of anode catalysts used in alkaline-media direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs), a Ni@PdPt electrocatalyst was successfully prepared using a three-phase-transfer method. The Ni@PdPt electrocatalyst was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and high-resolution TEM (HRTEM) techniques. The experimental results indicate that the average particle size of the core–shell-structured Ni@PdPt electrocatalyst is approximately 5.6 nm. The Ni@PdPt electrocatalyst exhibits a catalytic activity 3.36 times greater than that of PdPt alloys for methanol oxidation in alkaline media. The developed Ni@PdPt electrocatalyst offers a promising alternative as a highly electrocatalytically active anode catalyst for alkaline DMFCs.