Ni@Pt core-shell nanoparticles as an improved electrocatalyst for ethanol electrooxidation in alkaline media

Core-shell nanostructures are emerging as more important materials than alloy nanostructures, and have much more interesting potential applications in various fields, including catalysis and electronics. In this work, we demonstrate the facile synthesis of core-shell nanoparticles consisting of Pt thin layer as the shell and Ninanoparticles as the cores. X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy are used to investigate the surface morphology and chemical structural. The general electrochemical behavior towards ethanol oxidation on core-shell nanoparticles has been investigated by cyclic voltammetry in 0.5 M NaOH solution. The Ni@Pt core-shell nanoparticles showmarkedly enhanced electrocatalytic activity and stability for ethanol oxidation compared with the Pt-alonenanoparticles catalyst. The attractive performances exhibited by these prepared Ni@Pt core-shell nanoparticles make them promising candidates as future high-performance catalysts for ethanol electrooxidation. The facile method described herein is suitable for large-scale, low-cost production, and significantly lowers the Pt loading,and thus, the cost of the catalysts

Keywords:

Ni@Pt nanoparticles , Core-shell , Electrooxidation , Ethanol , Alkaline media