Ethanol Oxidation Reaction Research Articles

Edge-controlled ultrathin PdAg/PdPtAg ternary nanosheets for efficient ethanol oxidation reaction

Ultrathin metal alloy nanosheets offer promising applications in electrocatalysis due to their superior performance. In this study, we present a rational synthesis of ternary alloy ultrathin PdAg/PtPdAg nanosheets possessing highly porous edges (PdAg/PtPdAg P-NSs). By adopting mild reduction conditions and eliminating the need for strong surface-binding stabilizers, we effectively suppressed 3D growth and stabilized the unstable edges, resulting in ultrathin nanosheets with highly porous features. Importantly, these PdAg/PtPdAg P-NSs demonstrate remarkable electrocatalytic performances for the ethanol oxidation reaction, outperforming both their ternary counterparts and commercial Pd/C catalysts. This innovative synthetic approach offers a pathway to the design of high-performance 2D electrocatalysts for a broad spectrum of applications.

Local coordination and electronic interactions of Pd/MXene via dual‐atom codoping with superior durability for efficient electrocatalytic ethanol oxidation

AbstractCatalyst design relies heavily on electronic metal‐support interactions, but the metal‐support interface with an uncontrollable electronic or coordination environment makes it challenging. Herein, we outline a promising approach for the rational design of catalysts involving heteroatoms as anchors for Pd nanoparticles for ethanol oxidation reaction (EOR) catalysis. The doped B and N atoms from dimethylamine borane (DB) occupy the position of the Ti3C2 lattice to anchor the supported Pd nanoparticles. The electrons transfer from the support to B atoms, and then to the metal Pd to form a stable electronic center. A strong electronic interaction can be produced and the d‐band center can be shifted down, driving Pd into the dominant metallic state and making Pd nanoparticles deposit uniformly on the support. As‐obtained Pd/DB–Ti3C2 exhibits superior durability to its counterpart (∼14.6% retention) with 91.1% retention after 2000 cycles, placing it among the top single metal anodic catalysts. Further, in situ Raman and density functional theory computations confirm that Pd/DB–Ti3C2 is capable of dehydrogenating ethanol at low reaction energies.

Porous hemispherical Au@PdAg catalysts for enhancing ethanol electrooxidation

Direct ethanol fuel cell can convert chemical energy into electric energy directly, and has the advantages of being free from Carnot cycle and being friendly to environment, so it has a broad application prospect. However, the insufficient activity and toxicity resistance of anodic catalysts limit their commercial application, mainly due to the limited adsorption sites and the toxic inactivation of catalysts resulting from the production of toxic intermediates (COads) during the ethanol oxidation reaction (EOR) process. In this study, the Au@PdAg porous hemispherical catalyst assembled by nanotubes was successfully prepared by soft template method and co-reduction method using dioctadecyl dimethyl ammonium chloride (DODAC) as surfactant, and its EOR performance was tested. Au@Pd1.0Ag1.0 has the highest mass current density with a peak value of 4048.8 mAmgPd−1, which is 7.8 times of Pd/C (JM). After 5000 s stability test, the residual current density value is still 863.4 mAmgPd−1. The results showed that the introduction of the oxygenophilic metal Ag was conducive to the formation of OHads and the oxidation of COads. The porous structure of the nanotube assembly facilitates electron transfer and provides more adsorption sites, which makes the catalyst show good electrocatalytic activity and anti-CO poisoning ability.

Morphology engineering of self-assembled bimetallic PtCo alloy nanofoams as efficient multifunctional electrocatalysts for oxygen reduction and alcohol oxidation

The exploration of high properties of electrocatalysts is imperative for the commercialization application of fuel cells. Enhancing the catalytic activity and stability of Pt-based catalysts can be achieved by rationally designing their morphology and composition. Here, we synthesized self-assembled PtCo alloy nanofoams (ANs) catalysts with controllable surface composition and porous network. The experimental results show that prepared PtxCo1-ANs catalysts display excellent electrochemical performance in oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), methanol oxidation reaction (MOR) and ethanol oxidation reaction (EOR). Interestingly, the mass activities of Pt2Co1-ANs with optimized surface composition for ORR, MOR, and EOR are 6.41, 6.64, and 7.71-fold higher than commercial Pt/C catalysts, respectively. Meantime, it also maintains high electrocatalytic durability in ORR, MOR, and EOR. Such results ascribe to the modified surface composition, optimized electronic structure, and porous interconnected nanofoam structure. These findings provide valuable insights into the design of highly active and durable multifunctional electrocatalysts with controllable shapes and composition.

Construction of MOF-5 derived ZnO composites porous carbon supported Pd nanoparticles as highly stable catalyst for methanol and ethanol oxidation

The preparation of highly active and stable Pd-based catalysts for direct alcohol fuel cells (DAFC) is hampered by inefficient utilization of the active sites, susceptibility to CO poisoning, poor stability, and relatively slow reaction kinetics. Herein, the stability and anti-toxicity of the catalysts (Pd/ZnO/MDC) are tuned by loading Pd nanoparticles on the carbon-coated ZnO support, achieving efficient electrocatalysis for methanol and ethanol oxidation reaction (MOR and EOR). TEM result shows the ZnO is covered by the carbon layer formed outside of MOF-5 derived porous carbon, which can prevent it from dissolving under harsh conditions. The mass activities of the well-tuned catalyst Pd/ZnO/MDC(800) for MOR and EOR are 931.83 mA/mg and 1838.30 mA/mg, respectively. It is due to the improved electron transport efficiency between the Pd and ZnO, and the enhanced stability by carbon layer outside the ZnO. It is also found that the onset potential and the peak potential of Pd/ZnO/MDC(800) (−0.813 V, −0.228 V) in CO stripping experiment in MOR are more negative than Pd/MDC(800) (−0.261 V, −0.215 V). This result indicates that the existence of ZnO helps to provide surface hydroxyl group, which promotes the oxidation of the intermediates. This work indicates provides a feasible idea for DAFC catalyst design and construction.

Wet‐Chemical Epitaxial Growth of Metastable‐Phase Intermetallic Electrocatalysts

AbstractMetastable‐phase intermetallic compounds (IMCs) provide great flexibility to modify the electronic structure and surface coordination environment of metallic catalysts for various reactions. However, the synthesis of metastable‐phase IMCs with high catalytic performance remains a great challenge due to their thermodynamically unstable nature. Here, a wet‐chemical epitaxial growth strategy to synthesize metastable‐phase Pd‐Bi intermetallic nanocrystals (NCs) is reported. β‐Pd3Bi and γ‐Pd5Bi3 intermetallic NCs are epitaxially grown on the templates of face‐centered cubic Pd3Pb nanocubes and hexagonal close‐packed PtBi nanoplates, achieving Pd3Pb@Pd3Bi and PtBi@Pd5Bi3 core–shell NCs, respectively. The obtained Pd3Pb@Pd3Bi NCs possess a mass activity and specific activity of 8.52 A mg−1Pd and 11.59 mA cm−2 for ethanol oxidation reaction, which is 7.5 and 3.6 times as high as those of commercial Pd/C, respectively. Meanwhile, Pd3Pb@Pd3Bi NCs possess superior stability than commercial Pd/C. This work advances the design and synthesis of high‐performance metastable‐phase IMCs, opening an avenue for electrocatalytic ethanol oxidation and beyond.

Rational modulation of electronic structure in PtAuCuNi alloys boosts efficient electrocatalytic ethanol oxidation assisted with energy-saving hydrogen evolution

Compared to conventional electrocatalytic water splitting, electrocatalytic ethanol oxidation reaction (EOR) along with hydrogen production is considered a more energy-efficient strategy. Herein, we prepared a type of novel quaternary alloy catalyst (PtAuCuNi@NF) that exhibits excellent activity for EOR (0.215 V at 10 mA cm−2) and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) (7 mV at 10 mA cm−2). Experimental results demonstrated that both Cu and Ni modulated the electronic environment around Pt and Au. The electron-rich active center facilitates the rapid adsorption and dissociation of reactants and intermediates for both EOR and HER. Impressively, in the ethanol-assisted overall water splitting (E-OWS), a current density of 10 mA cm−2 was achieved at 0.28 V. Moreover, an advanced acid-base self-powered system (A-Bsps) that can achieve a self-powered voltage of 0.59 V was assembled. Accordingly, the self-driven hydrogen production with zero external power supply was realized by integrating A-Bsps with the E-OWS equipment. The interesting results can provide a feasible strategy for designing and developing advanced nanoalloy-based materials for clean energy integration and use in various fields.

Structural Control Enables Catalytic and Electrocatalytic Activity of Porous Tetrametallic Nanorods.

Integrating more than one type of metal into a nanoparticle that has a well-defined morphology and composition expands the functionalities of nanocatalysts. For a metal core/porous multimetallic shell nanoparticle, the availability of catalytically active surface sites and molecular mass transport can be enhanced, and the multielemental synergy can facilitate intraparticle charge transport. In this work, a reliable and robust synthesis of such a functional tetrametallic nanoparticle type is presented, where a micro- and mesoporous PdPtIr shell is grown on Au nanorods. The effect of critical synthesis parameters, namely temperature and the addition of HCl are investigated on the hydrodynamic size of the micellar pore template as well as on the stability of the metal chloride complexes and various elemental analysis techniques prove composition of the porous multimetallic shell. Due to the synergistic properties, the tetrametallic nanorods possess extensive negative surface charge making them a promising catalyst in reduction reactions. Dye degradation as well as the conversion of p-nitrophenol to p-aminophenol is catalyzed by the supportless nanorods without light illumination. By depositing the particles onto conductive substrates, the nanostructured electrodes show promising electrocatalytic activity in ethanol oxidation reaction. The nanocatalyst presents excellent morphological stability during all the catalytic test reactions.

Strain effect induced Pd nanoparticles decorated Pd2+-doped Co3O4 nanosheets for efficient electrocatalytic ethanol oxidation and oxygen reduction reactions

Reactive metal-support interaction (RMSI) is an effective means of inducing surface strain and charge transfer in catalysts, which further enhances electrochemical activity and modulates reaction pathways. Nevertheless, the precise synthesis of nanomaterials with tunable strain and unique morphology remains a challenge. In this work, we have synthesized Pd nanoparticles decorated Pd2+- doped Co3O4 nanosheets (Pd7.4%/Co3O4) by a NaBH4 reduction method, which exhibit excellent performance for ethanol oxidation reaction (EOR) and oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). The introduction of the Pd into the Co3O4 by the means of elemental doping and nanoparticle decoration, and the resulting lattice strain and electron redistribution are responsible for the improved performance. Meanwhile, Pd7.4%/Co3O4 has a relatively low d-band center that reduces the adsorption energy of reaction intermediates to improve reaction selectivity and eliminate EOR toxic intermediates, ultimately promoting reaction kinetics. This work demonstrates a simple and effective strategy to manipulate lattice strain and electronic coupling and provides a novel and advanced way for the development of low-cost and high-quality direct ethanol fuel cells (DEFCs) catalysts.

Interface Engineering of PdPt Ultrafine Ethanol Electro-Oxidation Nanocatalysts by Bacterial Soluble Extracellular Polymeric Substances (s-EPS) to Break through Sabatier Principle.

Unsatisfactory performance of ethanol oxidation reaction (EOR) catalysts hinders the application of direct ethanol fuel cells (DEFCs), while traditional alloy catalysts (like PdPt) is cursed by Sabatier principle due to countable active site types. However, bacterial soluble extracellular polymeric substances (s-EPS) owning abundent functional groups may help breacking through it by contrusting different active sites on PdPt and inducing them to play synergy effect, which is called interface engineering. Using s-EPS to engineer catalysts is more green and consumes lower energy compared to chemical reagents. Herein, PdPt alloy nanoparticles (≈2.1nm) are successfully in situ synthesized by/on s-EPS of Bacillus megaterium, an ex-holotype. Tryptophan residuals are proved as the main reductant. In EOR, PdPt@s-EPS shows higher activity (3.89mAcm-2) than Pd@s-EPS, Pt@s-EPS, Pt/C and most reported akin catalysts. Its stability and durability are excellent, too. DFT modelling further demonstrates that, interface engineering by s-EPS breaks through Sabatier principle, by the synergy of diverse sites owning different degrees of d-p orbital hybridization. This work not only makes DEFCs closer to practice, but provides a facile and green strategy to design more catalysts.

B doped cobalt-nickel bimetallic phosphide as bifunctional catalyst for ethanol oxidation reaction and hydrogen evolution reaction

The ethanol oxidation reaction (EOR) is an ideal alternative to the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) towards energy efficient hydrogen production. Here, the chrysanthemum-shaped B doped cobalt-nickel bimetallic phosphide with heterogeneous structure grown on nickel foam (B-Ni2P/CoP/NF) are synthesized and can act as a high activity bifunctional electrocatalysts for both the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and EOR. In 1.0 M KOH, the obtained catalyst shows good activity and excellent long-term stability (no decay after 108 h) for HER, with an overpotential of only 33 mV (vs. RHE) to reach a current density of 10 mA cm−2. The calculation of turnover frequency (TOF) and transfer coefficient (β) prove that the catalyst has good intrinsic catalytic activity, For EOR, in 1.0 M KOH+1.0 M C2H5OH solution, the B-Ni2P/CoP/NF catalyst requires only 1.45 V (vs. RHE) oxidation potential to reach the current density of 50 mA cm−2, which is 270 mV less than OER. Using B-Ni2P/CoP/NF as a bifunctional catalyst, the current density of 20 mA cm−2 can be achieved with only 1.48 V cell voltage in 1.0 M KOH+ 1.0 M C2H5OH solution, which is remarkably lower than the required cell voltage of water electrolysis (1.63 V) to achieve the same current density. This study demonstrates an efficient bimetallic phosphide as earth-abundant bifunctional electrocatalysts for green hydrogen production coupled with electrolysis of ethanol.

RhCuBi Trimetallenes with Composition Segregation Coupled Crystalline‐Amorphous Heterostructure Toward Ethanol Electrooxidation

AbstractThe inefficiency of Pt and Pd benchmark catalysts in achieving complete ethanol oxidation, coupled with their inherent susceptibility to poisoning, poses a significant obstacle to the advancement of direct ethanol fuel cells. In this study, the development of self‐supported and ultrathin RhCuBi trimetallenes, demonstrating exceptional performance in ethanol electrooxidation through segregation and interface engineering is presented. The distinctive RhBi‐rich crystalline/RhCu‐rich amorphous heterostructure of RhCuBi trimetallenes creates a wealth of highly active interfacial sites for the ethanol oxidation reaction (EOR). This results in an impressive 43.3% Faradaic efficiency for the C1 pathway and a peak mass activity of 1.11 A mgRh−1 at 0.68 V versus reversible hydrogen electrode. Moreover, RhCuBi trimetallenes retain 60% of their initial mass activity after 8.5 h of constant potential electrolysis, outperforming commercial Pd and Pt catalysts (<3%). In/ex situ infrared spectroscopy directly reveals the generated C1 products and the key CH3CO* intermediates for EOR on RhCuBi trimetallenes. Theoretical calculations confirm that the RhBi alloy, particularly the lattice‐stretched crystalline/amorphous interfacial sites, facilitates the adsorption/activation of ethanol and the dehydrogenation of CH3CO* toward the C1 pathway of EOR. This breakthrough offers promising prospects for enhancing the efficiency and stability of ethanol electrooxidation in fuel cell applications.

Ultrathin porous PdPtNi nanosheets as efficient electrocatalysts for alcohol oxidation reactions

The development of ultrathin porous nanostructures contributes a new opportunity to optimize the activity and stability of electrocatalysts, especially for those complicated alcohol oxidation reactions (AORs). Herein, a series of porous PdPtNi nanosheets with adjustable compositions were designed and synthesized to achieve highly active and stable electrocatalysis towards methanol and ethanol oxidation reactions (MOR and EOR) in alkaline electrolyte containing the corresponding alcohol molecules. Benefited from the ultrathin structures, abundant step atoms and optimized electronic structures, the optimized Pd45Pt42Ni13/C exhibits the mass and specific activities of 16.2 A mgPGM−1 and 12.7 mA cm−2, respectively, much higher than those of commercial Pt/C and PdPt-based catalysts. In addition, the Pd45Pt42Ni13/C also displays desirable stability with the highest retained current density after long-term durability tests. We also demonstrate that the porous PdPtNi nanosheets can serve as high-efficiency electrocatalysts towards EOR, confirming the versatility of improved electrocatalytic performance of AORs with multi-electron transfer. By maximizing the number of electrocatalytically active sites and enhancing the intrinsic catalytic activity of single sites, this work provides a class of high-performance Pt-based anodic catalyst for DAFCs via introducing porosity into ultrathin Pt- or Pd-based nanostructures.

Enhanced electrocatalytic activity of palladium electrocatalysts supported on corncob biochar for ethanol oxidation reaction in alkaline medium

AbstractIn this study, palladium particles supported on carbon black (Vulcan XC‐72) (Pd/C) and corncob biochar (Pd/CB800, Pd/CB900, and Pd/CB1000) were successfully synthesized using borohydride reduction. The biochar support was obtained from corncob waste via pyrolysis from 800 to 1000°C. Scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive x‐ray (SEM–EDX) revealed successful deposition of Pd metal particles on the carbon support materials. X‐ray diffraction (XRD) analysis confirmed the crystalline structures of Pd, and the crystallite size was found to be smallest in Pd/CB900. The electrocatalytic activity of the Pd electrocatalyst composites towards ethanol oxidation reaction (EOR) in an alkaline medium was investigated using cyclic voltammetry (CV). CV analysis has shown that Pd/CB900 gave the least positive onset potential (Eonset = −0.587 ± 0.0065 V), highest electrochemically active surface area (EASA = 31.51 ± 2.24 m2·g−1), and highest anodic peak current density (If = 20.77 mA·cm−2) compared with Pd/CB800, Pd/CB1000, and Pd/C. Furthermore, the Tafel plot and chronoamperometry have shown that Pd/CB900 exhibited faster kinetics (Tafel slope = 297.6 ± 4.62 mV·dec−1) and durability (% current retention = 50.64 ± 2.99%) than Pd/C towards EOR in an alkaline medium. This study highlights the simple and straightforward synthesis of the anode electrocatalyst material for direct ethanol fuel cell application.

Trimetallic PdRhPt Porous Nanooctahedra as Highly Active and Cost‐Effective Electrocatalysts for Ethanol Electrooxidation

AbstractThe development of highly active and cost‐effective electrocatalysts for the ethanol oxidation reaction (EOR) is imperative for the prospective application of direct ethanol fuel cells (DEFCs). In this study, we successfully synthesized porous octahedral nanoarchitectures comprising Pd, Rh, and Pt, through a straightforward one‐step co‐reduction aided by additional Ag precursors and other surface capping agents. The in‐situ galvanic replacement played a pivotal role in shaping hollow structures within the prepared PdRhPt porous octahedra, designated as PdRhPt‐POct. By strategically employing both composition and structure engineering, PdRhPt‐POct exhibited remarkably enhanced activity and stability toward EOR. Specifically, the mass activity of PdRhPt‐POct, reaching 8.11 A mg−1Pd+Pt, surpassed that of the majority of state‐of‐the‐art EOR electrocatalysts, owing to increased efficiency in C−C bond breaking and enhanced anti‐poisoning properties. This work introduces new prospects for designing and producing unique hollow‐structured multi‐metal nanocrystals as high‐performance EOR catalysts.

Use of commercial TiO2 as direct ethanol fuel cell electrocatalyst support

Direct ethanol fuel cells (DEFCs) are efficient converters of chemical energy into electrical energy. DEFCs operate at low temperatures, and an anode, a cathode and an electrolyte are the main constituents. In alkaline media, electrocatalysts, responsible for promoting anodic and cathodic reactions, are generally composed of palladium supported on carbon black. Other materials have been studied in order to make the ethanol oxidation reaction (EOR) more efficient. In this work, the effect of commercial TiO2 as alternative support to Pd-based catalysts for the EOR was evaluated. The synthesized materials were characterized by X-ray diffraction, linear voltammetry and chronoamperometry, aiming to determine the effect of different supports on the performance of the EOR.

CuNi2O4/MWCNTs nanocatalyst for methanol and ethanol electro-oxidation

The widespread use of cheap and efficient catalysts in energy storage and production in electrochemical processes led our research team to the synthesis and evaluation of CuNi2O4/MWCNTs nanocatalyst for alcohol oxidation. Nanocatalyst was characterized in terms of structure and morphology by X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and energy-dispersive X-ray analysis (EDAX). The ability of CuNi2O4/MWCNTs was evaluated with cyclic voltammetry (CV) and linear sweep voltammetry (LSV) analyses in the oxidation process of methanol and ethanol alcohols in alkaline media. The optimal concentration of methanol and ethanol for CuNi2O4/MWCNTs and CuNi2O4 was obtained to investigate the methanol oxidation reaction and ethanol oxidation reaction processes. The mechanism of these processes was also evaluated in detail. The stability of both nanocatalysts was investigated by performing several consecutive CVs and in 3600 s by chronoamperometric analysis. The results showed the good stability of this catalyst. The synergistic effect of placing CuNi2O4 on the surface of carbon nanotubes improved the oxidation process of methanol and ethanol. In general, the proposed catalyst can be an efficient, stable, and cheap option and at the same time very stable for use in alcohol fuel cells.

PdOs bimetallene for energy-saving hydrogen production coupled with ethanol electro-oxidation

The replacement of sluggish oxygen evolution reaction by more thermodynamically favorable ethanol oxidation reaction (EOR) is a promising strategy for coproduction of hydrogen and valuable chemicals in energy-saving mode. Here, we propose the synthesis of highly curved PdOs bimetallene, which possesses high active sites atomic utilization and conductivity. Furthermore, alloy effect can regulate electronic structure and optimize adsorption energy of reactants. Therefore, PdOs bimetallene exhibits superior performance for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and EOR under basic solutions, with overpotential of 36 mV at 10 mA/cm2 and mass activity of 1.51 mA/μgPd, respectively. In the EOR-HER coelectrolysis system, PdOs bimetallene requires low voltage of 0.801 V for concurrent production of hydrogen and acetate at 50 mA/cm2, which greatly reduces energy consumption compared to conventional water electrolysis (1.976 V). This method provides a promising strategy for designing bimetallic electrocatalysts toward simultaneous energy-saving generation of hydrogen and high-value chemicals by replacing sluggish oxygen evolution reaction with more favorable EOR.

Defect-rich Pt-Ru metallic aerogels for highly efficient ethanol oxidation reaction

Direct ethanol fuel cells (DEFCs) are a new type of green and efficient energy conversion devices, but the slow anodic reaction kinetics limit their application. Herein, a series of Pt-Ru metallic aerogels (MAs) with controllable composition, rich surface defects, and large specific surface area were prepared for ethanol oxidation reaction (EOR) by freeze–thaw method. Pt6Ru MAs exhibit the highest mass activity (1.264 A mgPt−1) toward EOR among all the catalysts we have prepared, which is 2.0, 1.8, and 3.7 times higher than those of Pt MAs (0.632 A mgPt−1), the commercial Pt/C (0.696 A mgPt−1), Pt6Ru NPs (0.339 A mgPt−1). 1H nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy confirms that only acetic acid was the liquid product of Pt6Ru MAs during EOR catalysis. Furthermore, Pt6Ru MAs show little attenuation and satisfactory reactivation abilities in stability assessment, demonstrating their good stability. This proves that the introduction of Ru makes feasible adjustments to the electronic structure of Pt in MAs, improving the electrocatalysis activity of Pt6Ru MAs in EOR. Mechanistic investigations reveal that the optimal electronic structure is the intrinsic reason for the excellent EOR performance of Pt6Ru MAs. The findings open a new way to develop high-performance Pt-based materials electrocatalysts.

Enhanced electrocatalytic performance of PtNi bimetallic alloys on carbon nanotube for ethanol oxidation reaction

In this paper, Ni-Pt bimetallic alloy nanoparticles were loaded on carbon nanotubes to prepare Ni-Pt nanoparticles/carbon nanotubes composites (Ni-Pt NPs/CNTs) as excellent catalytic materials for ethanol electro-oxidation reaction (EOR). X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and special aberration corrected transmission electron microscope (STEM) were used to characterize its morphology and structure. The activity and stability of the composite were measured by cyclic voltammetry (CV) and chronoamperometry (CA). The catalytic performance was explored by adjusting the ratio of Ni to Pt. Performance test results showed that the Ni-Pt alloy formed 10–15 nm spherical particles and dispersed uniformly on the surface of carbon nanotubes. The Ni1Pt1 NPs/CNTs composite showed excellent performance for EOR. Its mass activity of ethanol electro-oxidation was 620 mA·mg−1Pt, which was 5.08, 18.2 times higher than that of commercial Pt/C and Pt black catalyst, respectively.