NiPdPt trimetallic nanoparticles as efficient electrocatalysts towards the oxygen reduction reaction

In this article, the synthesis and characterization of NiPdPt (60:20:20 wt. %) nanoparticles supported on Vulcan carbon are analyzed towards the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in acid medium. We report a novel trimetallic nanocatalyst produced by a synthetic chemical route by reacting chemical reagents in oleylamine and oleic acid. The physical characterization of the synthesized nanoparticles was performed by X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy disperse X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) and scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM). The presence of Ni, Pd, and Pt in the nanoparticles was confirmed by EDS and XRD. From STEM micrographs, a size distribution of nanoparticles in a range of 30-52 nm was obtained. In the electrocatalyst research, cyclic voltammetry (CV), CO-stripping, and rotating disk electrode (RDE) were employed for electrochemical evaluation of the synthesized nanoparticles in acid medium. The NiPdPt/C nanocatalyst showed superior mass and specific activity compared to the commercial Pt/C towards the ORR in acid medium. (C) 2018 Hydrogen Energy Publications LLC. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.