Remarkable electrocatalytic activity of Pd nanoparticles dispersed on polyaniline-polydiphenylamine copolymer nanocomposite for methanol and ethanol oxidation reaction

In this work, we prepare a palladium nanoparticle dispersed on polyaniline and polydiphenylamine copolymer ([email protected]) nanocomposite by in situ oxidative polymerization followed by reduction method. The synthesized [email protected] nanocomposite morphology, chemical composition, molecular vibrational spectra, and crystallographic structure were analyzed by field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy with mapping (EDX), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), and X-ray diffraction pattern (XRD) techniques respectively. The electrocatalytic activity of the [email protected] nanocomposite modified electrode is studied by cyclic voltammetry, impedance, and chronoamperometry studies. The electrocatalyst [email protected] exhibits higher electrochemical active surface area, excellent activity (lower oxidation potential, significant cyclic stability, and durability) towards methanol and ethanol oxidation reaction in an alkaline medium than pure Pd, [email protected], [email protected] electrocatalyst. The electrocatalyst [email protected] nanocomposite modified glassy carbon electrode can be a remarkable anode catalyst for direct alcohol oxidation reaction in the future.