Hydrodynamic Deposition of Carbon Nanotubes onto HOPG: The Reduction of Oxygen on CNT/HOPG Electrodes in Alkaline Solution

Abstract

The electrochemical reduction of oxygen on highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG) electrodes coated with multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) was investigated in alkaline media using the rotating disk electrode (RDE) technique. A hydrodynamic method was employed for the deposition of nanotubes onto HOPG. The surface morphology of the MWCNT-modified HOPG electrodes was examined by atomic force microscopy. RDE studies indicate that the MWCNT/HOPG electrodes reveal a remarkable electrocatalytic activity toward reduction, and the surface morphology of the modified electrodes showed that the distribution of nanotubes on the HOPG surface was rather uniform and no essential agglomeration was evident.