Synthesis and Characterization of Nano Structured Pd-Ni and Pd-Ni-C Composites Towards Electrooxidation of Alcohols

Nanostructured (100-x)% Pd -x % Ni (x = 1, 2, 5, 10, and 20) and (90 – y)%Pd-10%Ni-y%C (y = 0.5, 1, 2, 5, and 10) composite films are obtained on glassy carbon electrodes and characterized by XRD, TEM, cyclic voltammetry and chronoamperometric techniques for use as electrocatalysts towards methanol, ethanol, ethylene glycol and glycerol oxidations in 1 M KOH at 25°C. Results show that addition of Ni from 1 to 20% to the pure Pd electrode increases the electrocatalytic activity for electrooxidation of each alcohol showing maximum with 10% Ni. Further, all the Pd-Ni composite electrodes exhibit better electrocatalytic performance in the case of ethanol electrooxidation. The rate of electrooxidation of different alcohols on the active 90%Pd-10 % Ni electrode at E = -0.20 V in 1 M KOH is observed to follow the order: ethanol > methanol> ethylene glycol > glycerol. Incorporation of C from 0.5 to 10% to the active Pd10% Ni composite improves the electrocatalytic performance of the electrode further, the magnitude of improvement being greatest with 5%C. The apparent electrocatalytic activity of the active 90%Pd-10%Ni electrode at E = -0.20 V is enhanced ~ 1.3 to 2.1 times with introduction of 5%C.