NiCoMo nanoparticles as an efficient electrocatalyst for methanol electro‐oxidation in alkaline media

Abstract

AbstractUsing the electrospinning approach, various percentages of less expensive metal alloy‐decorated nanofiber catalysts have been successfully made as a substitute for platinum in direct methanol fuel cells (DMFC). This work focuses on the synthesis and characterization of catalysts with metal fixed ratio of 20% wt for DMFC applications, specifically Ni/CNFs, Co/CNFs, and NiCoMo/CNFs. The catalysts are characterized using various techniques, including x‐ray diffraction, scanning electron microscope, transmission electron microscopy, energy dispersive x‐ray, and electrochemical measurements. All the prepared samples, regardless of the metal concentration, had good nanofiber form and a distinct nanoparticle appearance, according to the scanning electron microscope (SEM). Chromatography, scan rate, response time, and cyclic voltammetry all were used to examine the samples' ability to perform methanol electrocatalysis. When Mo is added to Ni with Co, the electrooxidation reaction's activation energy and electrode stability both increase. With a starting potential of 0.22 V, the maximum current density in the NiCoMo/CNF sample was 99.8 mA/cm2 at 0.6 V. To electrooxidize methanol, our electrocatalysts combine diffusion control with kinetic‐limiting processes. This work has shown how to create an effective NiCoMo based methanol electrooxidation catalyst using a special technique.