Electrocatalytic Activity of NiOx Nanostructured Modified Electrodes Towards Oxidation of Small Organic Molecules

Nickel oxide nanostructured modified platinum nanoparticles (PtNPs) supported in glassy carbon electrode (NiOx/Pt/GC) was used as an effective anode for formic acid (FA), methanol (ME) and ethanol (ET) electrooxidation in 0.3 M NaOH solution. GC surface was fabricated with NiOx nanostructured and Pt nanoparticles electrochemically. The modified electrodes were characterized using cyclic voltammetry (CV) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The catalytic improvement observed at NiOx/Pt/GC electrode for FAO, MEO, and ETO was not only confined in the large increase of the oxidation current but also in a negative shift in the onset potential of the oxidation reactions. The influence of temperature on the oxidation current was investigated and the apparent activation energy, E _a , for each fuel was calculated at a specific potential. Furthermore, NiOx/Pt/GC electrode showed a satisfactory stability for FAO, MEO, and ETO in 0.3 M NaOH solution.