Nickel-doped molybdenum diselenide/functionalized multiwalled carbon nanotube as highly efficient non-Pt electrocatalyst toward methanol oxidation reaction

Designing a highly active, cost-effective, poison-resistant, and durable noble-metal-free electrocatalyst is essential for improvement of direct methanol fuel cells performance. In this work, Ni-doped MoSe2 nanosheets were successfully synthesized and integrated with carboxylated multiwalled carbon nanotube (f-MWCNT). The formation of Ni-doped MoSe2/f-MWCNT was confirmed with field emission scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy techniques. The prepared nanocomposite was used as an electrochemical catalyst for methanol electro-oxidation. The Ni-doped MoSe2/f-MWCNT electrocatalyst displayed a low onset potential of 0.33 V and methanol oxidation reaction (MOR) activity of 630 mA/cm2 at 0.8 V vs. Ag/AgCl after addition of 1 M methanol in alkaline solution. The proposed electrocatalyst also presented outstanding stability with 90% of its MOR activity retention even after 8000 s. With its facile synthesis, excellent catalytic performance and high stability, Ni-doped MoSe2/f-MWCNT is promising as an inexpensive, CO-resistant and efficient anode catalyst for MOR.