Ni nanowire supported 3D flower-like Pd nanostructures as an efficient electrocatalyst for electrooxidation of ethanol in alkaline media

A Ni nanowire array (NiNWA) supported three-dimensional flower-like Pd nano-electrocatalyst with high electrocatalytic performance for the electrooxidation of ethanol in alkaline media has been fabricated by borohydride hydrothermal reduction method. This novel hybrid NiNWA/PdNF (nanoflowers) electrocatalyst exhibits large electrochemically active surface area (EASA, 45 m ² g ^-1(Pd)), excellent electrocatalytic activity (765 mA mg ^-1(Pd)), and high level of the poisoning tolerance (I _f/I _b = 1.2) to the carbonaceous oxidative intermediates for the electrooxidation reaction in alkaline media. In addition, the electrochemical stability of NiNWA/PdNF is significantly higher than that of NiNWA/PdNP (nanoparticles) electrocatalyst, as evidenced by chronoamperometry experiments in which the electrooxidation current of nanoflowers is controlled by the diffusion transport of ethanol species rather than the carbonaceous poisoning. This high electrocatalytic activity can be attributed to the more open structure with higher electrochemically active sites and shape of Pd nanoflowers. This is further enhanced by the core support NiNWA with a very large surface area and the open interspaces that ensure easy alcohol access even to remote active sites for fast ion adsorption/desorption.