Preparation of glass carbon electrode modified with nanocrystalline nickel-decorated carbon nanotubes and electrocatalytic oxidation of methanol in alkaline solution

Abstract

Nanocrystalline nickel with an average diameter of about 16 nm and a face-centered cubic (fcc) structure was uniformly attached to the surface of carbon nanotubes (CNT) by wet chemistry. The sample was characterized by X-ray powder diffraction and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). A glass carbon electrode modified with nickel-modified multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs-Ni/GCE) was prepared. The electrochemical behavior of the MWCNTs-Ni/GCE and the electrocatalytic oxidation of methanol at the MWCNTs-Ni/GCE were investigated by cyclic voltammetry in 1.0 mol/L NaOH solution. The cyclic voltammograms showed that the electron transfer between ?-Ni(OH)₂ and ?-NiOOH is mainly a diffusion-controlled quasi-reversible process, and that the electrode has high catalytic activity for the electrooxidation of methanol in alkaline medium, revealing its potential application in alkaline rechargeable batteries and fuel cells.

Keywords

carbon nanotube / Ni nanoparticles / electrocatalytic oxidation / methanol