Monodispersed Pd nanospheres and their electrocatalytic properties for methanol oxidation in alkaline medium

Abstract

High-dispersed Pd nanospheres were synthesized successfully by a facile and green method using polyoxypropylenepolyoxyethylene copolymer as reducer and stabilizer. The size and shape of the nanospheres can be well controlled through simply varying the reaction temperature. The morphology and structure of the nanospheres were characterized by Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high-resolution TEM (HRTEM), X-ray powder diffraction (XRD). The electrocatalytic test indicated that the obtained Pd nanospheres exhibit more negative onset oxidation potential and much higher current density for methanol oxidation in alkaline media compared to the bulk Pd electrode. The results of this paper provides a promising approach to prepare Pd-based nanocatalysts for alkaline fuel cells.