The electrocatalytic performance of carbon ball supported RhCo alloy nanocrystals for the methanol oxidation reaction in alkaline media

Abstract

Although both Pd and Rh fall into the Pd-group Pt-group elements (PPGEs), the electrocatalytic property of Rh nanocrystals for the methanol oxidation reaction (MOR) in alkaline media is rarely explored till now. In this work, we develop a surfactant-free co-precipitation/co-reduction method to synthesize the carbon ball supported RhCo alloy nanocrystals (RhCo/CB) nanohybrids with different Rh/Co atomic ratios and investigate their electrocatalytic acitvity for the MOR in alkaline media. Cyclic voltammetry and chronoamperometry measurements show Rh3Co1/CB nanohybrids have exceptional electrocatalytic activity and long-term stability for the MOR in alkaline media, much higher than commercial Pd/C and Pt/C electrocatalysts, demonstrating that Rh-based alloy nanocrystals may be highly promising Pt-alternative electrocatalyst for the MOR in alkaline media.