Highly Dispersed PdNi Nanoparticles on an Oxygen-Functionalized Activated Carbon with Extraordinary Electrocatalytic Activity for Methanol Oxidation

Exploration of advanced electrocatalysts with high activity and durability for the methanol oxidation reaction (MOR) is essential for developing high-efficiency and low-cost direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs). Here, PdNi electrocatalysts with various Pd-to-Ni atomic ratios and high dispersion were prepared by a simple chemical reduction with functionalized activated carbon (FAC) and sodium borohydride as a support and a reducing agent, respectively. Among the various PdxNiy/FAC and the reference Pd/FAC catalysts, Pd4Ni1/FAC displays the highest catalytic activity toward methanol oxidation reaction (MOR) in an alkaline medium. Specifically, it achieves a high mass activity of up to 2577.5 mA/mgPd. In addition, it also shows high anti-CO poisoning and better stability. The superior electrocatalytic performance of Pd4Ni1/FAC may be attributed to the high dispersion and the synergic effect between Pd and Ni.